563weather

Miles from the trailhead, your phone shows one bar. No data—just signal. You need to know if that afternoon storm is coming or if you're clear to push for the summit.

563weather gives you weather forecasts over SMS. Text your location, get a forecast back. No app, no internet, no data plan required. Just a text message with the weather.

How to use it

Text your location to the number above. You can send coordinates, a place name, or an address—whatever you have.

Place names work just as well:

The forecasts come from NOAA—the same source the National Weather Service uses. You'll get the high and low temperatures, precipitation chance, and wind conditions for the next day.

Why this exists

Cell signal travels farther than data. In the backcountry, you often have enough signal to send and receive texts, but not enough to load a weather app or check websites.

I got the idea for this service in Maine's 100 Mile Wilderness during my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail (NOBO '23, trail name "Garfunkel"). I wanted to summit Katahdin on a clear day, but I rarely had data deep in the North Maine Woods to check forecasts.

So I asked my dad to text me the forecast for Baxter Peak every day. Whenever I got signal - at a ridge, a road crossing, wherever - his texts would come through. I'd check the forecast and plan accordingly. It worked perfectly.

After I finished the hike, I decided to build something to do what my dad was doing, but automatically and make it available for anyone else who needed it.

It's simple on purpose. One number to text. One forecast in return. Works from any phone that can send SMS—no smartphone required.

Details

What can I send?

Coordinates (like 34.5, -84.2), place names (like Springer Mountain), or addresses. It'll figure out where you mean.

Where does it work?

Anywhere in the United States where NOAA has forecast data.

How accurate is it?

As accurate as NOAA. It's the same data the National Weather Service publishes.

Does it cost anything?

The service is free. Standard text messaging rates from your carrier apply.