Why you can't necessarily trust your smartphone's weather app

Weather apps tend to err on the side of caution by showcasing whichever possible weather is most likely to affect traffic and safety. This means even if there's just a 20% chance of snow, you'll hear about it. — dpa

You know the feeling. That pang of excitement or dread – or a little of both – when you open a weather app on your phone and there it is, staring back at you: a snowflake.

But that snowflake can be an unreliable indicator, according to local weather experts.