The KSMI Weather app for Android and iOS has powerful location-based features available for all users. At this time, location-based features include nearby lightning alerts and incoming precipitation threats (such as rain, thunderstorms).

Important Note: For location-based features to work properly, the KSMI Weather app needs access to your location data, including background/always on location. You will notice several prompts while setting up these features, and a reminder from your phone may even pop up a day or two later reminding you that you enabled always on location services for the app. This always-on location permission is necessary for lightning and precipitation alerts, as these are highly location specific features. If you don't give the app always on permission, you won't be able to use the features. 

To enable lightning alerts for your device, perform the following...

• Open the KSMI Weather app, then open the menu on the top left, and select Device Settings.
• Scroll down to Lightning Notification Settings, then enable Lightning Alerts for My Location.
• Your device will ask you to enable always-on location permission, you will need to allow this permission. This gives the KSMI Weather app permission to periodically compare your device's location against nearby lightning strikes.
• Your device will ask you to enable motion/fitness data permission, you will need to allow this permission. This permission allows the app to sample your location, but only your device is moving.

You can customize the distance required to activate an alert. The default and recommended distance is 20 kilometers, but some users may wish to change this to a further distance, such as 50 kilometers, or less. The lowest you can set the distance to is 10 kilometers, the highest is 50 kilometers. Remember, the lower the distance, the closer a strike will need to occur before activating. 

To enable precipitation alerts for your device, perform the following...

• Open the KSMI Weather app, then open the menu on the top left, and select Device Settings.
• Scroll down to Precipitation Notification Settings, then enable Precipitation Alerts for My Location.
• Your device will ask you to enable always-on location permission, you will need to allow this permission. This gives the KSMI Weather app permission to periodically compare your device's location against nearby weather events.
• Your device will ask you to enable motion/fitness data permission, you will need to allow this permission. This permission allows the app to sample your location, but only your device is moving.

You can then select what type of precipitation you are notified about, and the associated intensity. By default, we enable moderate and heavy rain, thunderstorm, snow, and mixing events. You can tweak and change this as you feel fit. By default, we disable light intensity events. This is due to light intensity events having a very small threshold required to trigger an alert, which may cause alerts for events that quickly dissipate or don't fully develop. We recommend leaving light events off.

By default, we also enable the option for Severe Notifications. In short, this feature notifies you if a storm nearby is gaining in intensity or is becoming a threat. Threats can include increasing winds, hail, intense lightning. 

When a precipitation event clears, we send a notification letting you know. You can turn these notifications off by disabling Ended Notification.

Troubleshooting Tips

• I don't have the options for Lightning Notification Settings or Precipitation Notification Settings.
  • Ensure you are in the right menu, which is Device Settings, not Account Settings.
  • If you are on the Device Settings screen, but still don't see these settings, it's possible your account administrator has turned off individual device alerts. Contact your account manager to confirm. If the issue persists or the account manager hasn't disabled the feature, have the account manager contact KSMI Weather.
    
    
• Alerts are going off for lightning or precipitation, but there's no activity around me.
  • Ensure you don't have light precipitation options enabled.
  • It's possible that a storm was headed toward you, but died off before it arrived.
  • It's possible your device isn't reporting your location properly, and you are receiving alerts for an earlier location.
    
    
• Our company/municipality is using groups, and I am receiving alerts for groups and my device, how do I turn off the group alerts and just use device alerts? 
  • In the device menu, select Account Settings and scroll to the bottom.
  • Select the Edit Details in GROUP NAME button.
  • Scroll down to Precipitation Tracking and toggle the option off.
  • Group precipitation alerts are now disabled.
    
    
• I am the account owner for our company/municipality, how do I turn off group precipitation alerts for everyone?
  • Navigate to Account Settings, then toggle off Precipitation Tracking Alerts.
  • All account-based precipitation alerts will now be disabled.
    
    
• I am the account owner for our company/municipality, how do I turn on device precipitation alerts?
  • Navigate to Account Settings, then toggle on Individual Device Alerts.
  • Each device user on your account will now have to follow the steps above to enable the setting on each device. KSMI Weather is not able to enable a device-based feature. The user must enable themselves.

If you have a question that wasn't answered here, please email support@ksmi.ca and we will do our best to help!