We love to see your snow reports, but the social media space has changed with the sale of Twitter (hem, “X”) to Elon. This saw disruption to many great websites like uksnowmap.com, which are still trying to navigate the effects of Musks brain farts. But, it did give us an opportunity to build our own tool and reimagine what it would be like to not rely on social media giants so heavily.
A Community-Powered UK Snow Tracker
Today, we’re excited to introduce our UK Snow Reporting Tool. A web application that transforms winter weather monitoring into a collaborative, real-time experience.
Unlike traditional weather services that rely solely on meteorological stations and radar data, our snow reporting tool harnesses the power of community observation. Every report comes from real people experiencing real conditions, creating an accurate, up-to-the-minute picture of snow coverage across the UK.
Core Features
📍 Interactive Real-Time Map
At the heart of the application is a full-screen interactive map powered by OpenStreetMap. Snow reports appear as color-coded markers that instantly communicate snow depth at a glance:
- Black circles: Active snowfall (not yet settling)
- Blue markers: Light dusting (less than 1cm)
- Purple markers: Light accumulation (1-4cm)
- Pink markers: Moderate snow (5-9cm)
- Red markers: Heavy accumulation (10-19cm)
- Dark red markers: Significant snow (20cm+)
The visual system makes it effortless to scan the map and identify areas with the most significant snowfall.
📝 Easy Snow Report Submission
Submitting a report takes just seconds. The app automatically detects your location using GPS (mobile only, or you can manually enter any UK location. Simply:
- Click the “Add Report” button to open popup
- Enter the snow depth, ensuring you’ve measured beforehand
- Optionally add a photo for visual verification
- Include any additional notes about conditions
- Submit
Reports can indicate either measurable snow depth or active snowfall that hasn’t begun settling—both critical pieces of information for anyone monitoring winter conditions.
📸 Photo Evidence
A picture is worth a thousand words, especially when it comes to weather conditions. Users can attach photos directly to their reports, providing visual confirmation and context that numbers alone can’t capture. Whether it’s a ruler in the snow, accumulation on a car, or a picturesque winter scene, photos help everyone understand the true conditions on the ground.
⏰ Time-Based Filtering
Weather conditions change rapidly. The app offers flexible time filtering to show reports from the last:
- 6 hours (very recent conditions)
- 12 hours (recent conditions)
- 24 hours (daily overview)
- 48 hours (two-day trend)
- 72 hours (three-day trend)
The default 24-hour view strikes the perfect balance between recency and coverage, while the map dynamically fades older reports to visually distinguish fresh data from aging observations.
🔗 Shareable Report Links
Found a particularly noteworthy snow report? Every report has a unique URL that you can copy and share. When someone opens the link, the app automatically loads that specific report, making it easy to share winter weather updates with friends, family, or colleagues. Perfect for coordinating travel plans or simply sharing the excitement of a proper snowfall.
🚨 Community-Driven Accuracy
Data quality matters. The app includes a sophisticated flagging system that empowers the community to maintain accurate information. Users can flag reports that seem questionable, selecting from specific categories:
- Inaccurate depth: The reported measurement doesn’t match conditions
- Not snowing: Report claims snow where none is falling
- Spam: Irrelevant or malicious content
Each report displays its flag count and category breakdown, and users can only flag a report once to prevent abuse. This community moderation ensures the map remains a reliable resource.
🚗 Overlays
Recognising that many meteorologists and enthusiasts use various roads and landmarks we’ll slowly be rolling out filters to aid this habit. Such as “North of The M4” – well, you no longer have to work out exactly where it is, just switch on our filter.
What else would you like to see?
📱 Mobile-First Design
Winter weather doesn’t wait for you to get to a desktop computer. The app is built with a mobile-first philosophy, ensuring a seamless experience whether you’re submitting a report from your snow-covered garden or checking conditions during your commute.
Key mobile optimisations include:
- Touch-friendly controls with appropriate spacing
- Bottom-sheet modals that feel native to mobile devices
- Responsive layout that adapts to any screen size
- Safe area handling for modern notched displays
- Gesture-based interactions that feel natural
🔄 Real-Time Updates
The app automatically refreshes data, ensuring you always see the latest reports without manually reloading the page. A convenient refresh button also gives you instant control when you want to check for new submissions.
🚨 Alert System
Critical weather updates or important announcements can be broadcast through the app’s alert system. Alerts appear prominently at the bottom of the map with color-coded styling:
- Info alerts: General information (blue)
- Warning alerts: Important notices (yellow)
- Error alerts: Critical issues (red)
- Success alerts: Good news (green)
Alerts support embedded links and can be dismissed by users. Dismissed alerts remain hidden for 24 hours, respecting user preferences while ensuring important information reaches everyone.
🎨 Beautiful, Polished Design
This isn’t a utilitarian tool that merely functions, it’s designed to be pleasant to use. Every interaction has been considered:
- Smooth animations and transitions
- Thoughtful color coding that communicates information instantly
- Clear typography and generous whitespace
- Consistent, modern design language throughout
- Attention to small details like hover states and loading indicators
The app demonstrates that weather tools can be both functional and beautiful.
Technical Excellence Under the Hood
Behind the elegant interface lies robust technical architecture:
Modern Web Stack
- React with TypeScript: Type-safe component architecture
- Tailwind CSS: Utility-first styling for consistent design
- OpenLayers: Professional-grade mapping library
- Vite: Lightning-fast build tooling and development experience
Supabase Backend
The app leverages Supabase for serverless database functionality:
- PostgreSQL database: Reliable, scalable data storage
- Row Level Security: Proper data protection policies
- Real-time subscriptions: Instant updates without polling
- Automatic migrations: Version-controlled database changes
Smart Architecture Decisions
- Location-based filtering: Efficient queries for UK boundaries
- Optimized marker rendering: Smooth performance with hundreds of reports
- Intelligent caching: Fast load times and reduced server load
- Progressive enhancement: Core functionality works everywhere, enhancements for modern browsers
Privacy and Security
The app is designed with privacy in mind:
- No mandatory registration: Anyone can submit reports
- Secure data handling: All connections use HTTPS
- Row-level security: Database access is properly restricted
- No tracking cookies: The app focuses on functionality, not surveillance
The Future of Snow Reporting
This app represents just the beginning. Potential future enhancements include:
- Data export to produce maps
- Weather station integrations for automated reports
- Historical data visualisation and trends
- Additional weather parameters (wind, temperature, visibility)
If you have any suggestions, please do reach out.
Try It Yourself
Join the community of observers this winter. Submit your first report, explore the map, and experience a new way to stay connected with the weather happening all around you.
Buy us a Coffee?
If you like our app, please consider supporting at ko-fi.com/uksnowwatch