GGB Weather App for iOS
In a previous post, I mentioned that I frequently bike across the Golden Gate Bridge. The ride from my home to the bridge takes about 35 minutes, and after completing a loop on the other side, I typically cross back about 40 minutes later. The weather in my neighborhood often differs significantly from the bridge, and I've learned the hard way that conditions can change dramatically while I’m on the other side. After a few rough rides due to being underdressed for my second crossing, I got tired of checking multiple data sources to gauge real-time conditions and decide what to wear.
This frustration led me to build a simple website that pulls a live webcam image of the bridge and allows me to configure my estimated arrival times for both crossings to get weather forecasts that allow me to dress accordingly. After creating the site, I thought it would be even nicer to have a small widget on my phone, so I decided to port it to Swift as a learning exercise. Given the niche audience for an app like this, I’m unsure whether I'll ever publish it on the App Store, but I’ve shared the code so others can compile it if they’d like.
For now, I have a handy widget on my phone that lets me quickly check a recent snapshot of the Golden Gate Bridge, along with current weather conditions and some inspiration for the two best times to cross today. I also got to learn a bit about Swift.
danielraffel