Transparency
Sources & Services
TwisterZone aggregates data from the following third-party sources and services. Each entry describes what data we use and how it appears on the site.
Weather Data
National Weather Service (NWS)
Gov / Free
Official weather forecasts, watches, warnings, advisories, and severe weather alerts for all US counties and forecast zones.
API: api.weather.gov — Public domain, no key required. Used for alerts ticker, location detail panel, forecast zone data, and NWS office lookup.
NOAA
Gov / Free
Atmospheric and oceanic data underlying NWS products. Storm Prediction Center (SPC) outlooks are sourced from NOAA SPC.
SPC API: www.spc.noaa.gov — Public domain. Used for the SPC Outlook map layer.
Iowa Environmental Mesonet (IEM)
Free / Public
Official NEXRAD composite radar tiles served via IEM Ridge WMS. Displays current national base reflectivity radar mosaic sourced directly from NWS NEXRAD data.
WMS endpoint: mesonet.agron.iastate.edu — Free, no API key required, public domain. Operated by Iowa State University. Radar refreshes automatically every 5 minutes.
Mapping & Geocoding
OpenStreetMap
Open Source
Base map tiles rendered beneath radar and weather overlays. County boundary and road data.
© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL license. Tiles served via Leaflet.js.
Nominatim (OSM Geocoder)
Open Source
Converts county/location search text into coordinates used to center the map and fetch NWS data.
Public endpoint. Queries are not stored by TwisterZone. Usage subject to OSM Nominatim usage policy.
Leaflet.js
Open Source
Interactive map rendering library. Handles map tiles, zoom, pan, and layer management.
BSD 2-Clause License. No data is sent to Leaflet servers; it runs entirely in the browser.
Scanner Audio & Radio
Broadcastify
Third-party
Live scanner audio links for counties and statewide feeds. SKYWARN/weather spotter net search links. Displayed in the Location Detail panel and Quick Menu.
TwisterZone links to Broadcastify feed pages. We do not embed or stream audio directly — users are directed to Broadcastify.com. Broadcastify's own ToS and privacy policy apply upon visiting their site.
RadioReference
Third-party
Scanner frequencies, trunked radio system data, and agency listings for selected counties. Displayed in the Location Detail panel and Quick Menu.
TwisterZone links to RadioReference county pages using county IDs sourced from NWS data. RadioReference's ToS and privacy policy apply upon visiting their site. RadioReference badge shown when county ID is verified.
Local TV Stations
FCC TV Station Data
Gov / Free
Station call signs, network affiliations, and market (DMA) assignments used to match local TV weather departments to searched counties.
Station-to-market mapping is maintained in TwisterZone's internal database built from FCC public records. Links direct users to each station's weather page. Station websites are not affiliated with TwisterZone.
Analytics & Advertising
Google Analytics (GA4)
Google
Anonymous site usage analytics: pages viewed, session duration, general geographic region, browser/device type. Used to understand traffic and improve TwisterZone.
Property ID: G-SSZ06S0Z8G. Data is anonymized and aggregated. Users may opt out via the GA Opt-Out Add-on. Governed by Google's Privacy Policy.
Google AdSense
Google
Contextual and interest-based advertisements displayed on TwisterZone pages. Helps fund the operation of the site.
Google may use cookies (including the DoubleClick cookie) to personalize ads based on browsing history. Opt out at Google Ad Settings. Governed by Google's Privacy Policy and AdSense ToS.
HostSDG Stats
First-party
Privacy-friendly analytics operated by Social Data Group, LLC via HostSDG infrastructure. Tracks aggregate page views and session data without cookies or personal identifiers.
Endpoint: stats.hostsdg.com — No personal data sold or shared. Data stays within Social Data Group, LLC infrastructure.
SocialDataGroup Pear
First-party
Lightweight event tracking operated by Social Data Group, LLC. Used to measure feature engagement and improve TwisterZone functionality.
Endpoint: pear.hostsdg.com — No personal data sold or shared. Data stays within Social Data Group, LLC infrastructure.
Community
TalkWeather.com
Partner
Community weather discussion forum. TwisterZone links to TalkWeather.com throughout the site to enable users to discuss weather events, share reports, and connect with other weather enthusiasts.
TalkWeather.com is operated by Social Data Group, LLC. TalkWeather's own Terms of Service and Privacy Policy apply. No data is automatically shared between TwisterZone and TalkWeather.
Fonts & Frontend Libraries
Google Fonts
Google
Web fonts (Rajdhani, Source Sans 3) loaded for TwisterZone's interface typography.
Font requests are made to fonts.googleapis.com. Google may log these requests per their privacy policy. Fonts may be self-hosted in a future update.