Meet NomadWeather: A Local Weather Guide for Life on the Road

If you’ve ever pulled into a new campsite, van park or bushland stop and thought, “I’ve no idea what the weather is likely to do over the next few days,” then this tool is for you.

Whether you’re in a caravan, motorhome, tent or simply road-tripping for the fun of it, the first thing experienced travellers want to know when you arrive somewhere new is: what’s the weather going to do? Is it going to be calm enough to set up the awning? Will the wind change direction and rip it apart later? Is it going to be cold enough that I should put up the full annex with walls? Should I park near that tree?

That’s exactly why we created NomadWeather - a free tool on the Travel Storage website for people who travel on the road. It’s like having a life-long local as your personal weather guide.

NomadWeather gives you a simple look at what’s coming over the next 24 hours and 7 days, with more detailed forecasts available when you want to explore further. It focuses on the things that matter when you’re making real decisions at camp: wind direction and gust strength, temperature range, and whether rain is on the way.

Weather information you need: Wind, Temperature and Rain

A general forecast might tell you it will be windy or mention a chance of rain. But when you’ve just arrived at a new location, you need to turn that forecast into a plan.

• Which way should I position the van to shelter the awning from the prevailing wind?
• Should I put the awning up now, or is it likely to need packing away later because of stronger gusts or rain?
• Would the full annex make the stay more comfortable if it’s going to be cold or wet?
• What should I expect overnight and over the next few days?

Wind direction matters as well as wind strength. Knowing where gusts are coming from can help you think through your setup and exposure. Forecasts can’t assess hazards at a particular campsite, though, so always use local site guidance and your own judgement - especially around trees and other overhead hazards.

NomadWeather keeps the first look simple, with short summaries and clear indicators, while also offering charts and forecast details for anyone who prefers the numbers.

Start with the typical conditions

The current forecast tells you what's happening now and a few hours ahead, but the local long-term averages gives you a much more useful understanding of the place you’ve arrived in. This section describes the typical temperature range and prevailing wind, as well as monthly rainfall. The charts below show how rainfall, temperatures and observed wind directions vary across the months. This is critical for deciding which direction to face your awning.

Experience proves over and over - facing the awning towards the nice lake view is generally not the best idea!

A quick summary to get your bearings

The top of the page is designed to help you understand the overall picture quickly. The indicators show the status and a useful detail for each category, while the summary underneath explains the outlook in everyday language.

In this example, the summary describes wet conditions ahead, mild temperatures and moderate winds. That’s a useful prompt to check the details before deciding whether to put the awning up or make other plans.

See what’s happening now - and where the gusts are coming from

This view puts several useful pieces of information side by side. The “Now” panel shows the latest temperature, condition, wind direction and speed, gusts, humidity and feels-like temperature. Today’s weather gives the day’s temperature range and forecast rain and gust information.

The wind gust rose shows the directions forecast gusts are coming from during the next 24 hours, with colours indicating low, caution and alarm ranges. It’s a quick way to add direction to the gust-strength number - helpful context when you’re thinking about how your vehicle and outdoor setup are exposed.

Check the detail for the next 24 hours

If you want to look beyond the summary, the chart makes the next 24 hours easier to follow. The temperature line shows how the forecast changes over time, and the bars show precipitation probability. A “Now” marker separates the current point from the forecast ahead.

The hourly table adds the detail behind the chart, including conditions, temperature, wind gusts, rain and solar. You can use it to check whether conditions are expected to change later in the day or overnight, rather than relying on a single daily high or a broad chance-of-rain figure.

Plan beyond today with the 7-day lookahead

Staying a few nights? The 7-day lookahead gives you a compact view of the week ahead. Each day shows a weather icon, temperature range, maximum gust forecast and solar rating. That makes it easier to spot a run of windier days, a cooler night or a change in the outlook before deciding how to set up or what to keep handy.

Make the caution levels your own

Travellers don’t all have the same comfort levels or equipment. In NomadWeather, you can customise wind-gust and minimum and maximum temperature caution and alarm thresholds. The temperature scale shows how those settings relate to the forecast colours.

You can also choose whether to be advised before dark about overnight wind risk. Settings are saved in the browser you use, so they’re personal to that browser rather than an account-wide profile.

Free to use while you’re on the road

I built NomadWeather because I know what it’s like to arrive somewhere new and wish you had a local on hand to explain what the weather usually does - and what it’s likely to do next. I wanted a tool that puts the practical travel questions first, without taking away the detail for people who want it.

Whether you travel by caravan, motorhome, tent or car, take a look at NomadWeather. It’s free to use, and it might make your next campsite setup a little easier to plan.

Explore NomadWeather →