Apps are often off the mark

How to tell what the weather will be like from the clouds

Weather apps can be helpful, but mountaineers and hikers in particular should look up at the sky much more often to know what is brewing above them.

(Bild: Wallner Hannes)

What do cumulus clouds look like, what are cirrus clouds or fair weather clouds and which clouds indicate bad weather? The answers are provided by Austria's mountain meteorologist Gerhard Hohenwarter, who also knows why you can't rely on weather apps, especially in the Alps.

All weather apps are based on weather models. "These are mathematical-physical models that calculate the state of the atmosphere for the coming hours and days," explains meteorologist Gerhard Hohenwarter, who is also a trained mountain hiking guide and spends a lot of time out in the mountains: "We also use these weather models for our forecasts."