MESOVIEWER National-scale model viewer

Privacy & Data

MesoViewer collects as little as possible. We use Google Analytics to understand aggregate site usage (which pages are visited, roughly where visitors come from) — and nothing else: no advertising, no ad networks, no social-media widgets, no sale of data. Most display and map preferences are stored locally in your browser.

Cookies

We use one first-party functional cookie: a session cookie created when you sign in. It allows the site to recognize that you are logged in and access account-only features. It is removed when you sign out.

Google Analytics sets its own cookies (names beginning with _ga) to distinguish returning visitors. These are used for aggregate statistics only — see the Analytics section below.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 to measure how the site is used: pages visited, approximate region, browser type, and how visitors arrive. We use this to decide what to build and fix. We do not use it for advertising, do not link it to your account, and do not send it your email or saved locations. Embedded (/embed) pages are excluded from analytics entirely.

Google processes this data on our behalf — see Google’s privacy policy. You can opt out with the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on or by blocking analytics in your browser or content blocker — the site works identically without it.

Settings stored in your browser

Most MesoViewer preferences are saved in your browser’s local storage rather than on our servers. These settings remain on your device and include:

  • Light or dark mode and accent preferences
  • Basemap, map overlays, and field opacity
  • Dashboard density, selected models, default suite, and contour settings
  • UTC (“Z”) versus local-time preference and active alert categories
  • One-time notices you have dismissed

These preferences are not uploaded for tracking or profiling. Clearing MesoViewer’s site data in your browser will remove them.

Account data

If you create an account, we store only what is needed to provide account features: your email address, a securely hashed password, your plan tier, and any locations you choose to save.

We do not sell, rent, share, or use this information to create advertising or behavioral profiles. You can sign out whenever you wish. To delete your account and associated data, contact us.

What we do not do

  • No advertising or ad networks
  • No tracking pixels or social widgets
  • No sale or sharing of personal data
  • No linking of analytics to your account or identity
  • No behavioral profiling

Weather data sources

Forecast guidance displayed in MesoViewer is derived from publicly available NOAA and National Weather Service model output. Watches, warnings, and related alert information are obtained from the National Weather Service API at api.weather.gov.

These are public weather-data sources. Requests for that data are not connected to your MesoViewer account or used to identify you.