RainBot is a free local alert system that sends real-time weather warnings via text — no app needed. Just sign up with your name, phone, county, and ZIP, and RainBot will watch the sky for you.
Made by a Michigander, astronomer, and lifelong weather geek, RainBot is built with our state in mind. Michigan’s weather is becoming more volatile every year — stronger tornadoes, flash flooding, ice storms, and sudden wind events — and RainBot is tailored to cut through the noise and keep Michiganders a step ahead.
— Cody Wrubel, Creator of RainBot & Founder of Empire Technologies LLC
RainBot+ (Optional Premium)
$12/year — basically $1/month. One simple payment. Cancel anytime. Core safety alerts remain free for everyone.
Included for everyone (Free)
- Real-time NWS/NOAA safety alerts delivered by SMS (Tornado, Severe Thunderstorm, Flash Flood).
- Frost/Freeze warnings relayed when issued for your county.
- Privacy-first: no ads, no data selling. Ever.
RainBot+ adds
- Ask-RainBot (3 questions / 24h) — text ASK or start with ? and get quick, human-style answers for your window: “? rain 5–7 in 48060”, “ASK grill after 3”, “? soccer 6pm”.
- Morning & evening SMS forecasts tailored to your county.
- Aurora notifications (Kp + cloud forecast).
- Astronomical event notifications (meteor showers, conjunctions, eclipses).
- Noise-trimmed updates focused on timing, wind, hail, lightning, flooding, snow.
Ask-RainBot examples
- ? rain 5–7 in 48060 — heads-up for that time block (with best dry pocket).
- ASK grill after 3 — quick “go/maybe/no” plus a tip if storms are possible.
- ? soccer 6pm — checks your saved ZIP if you don’t include one.
Limit: 3 questions per rolling 24 hours per premium user.
Why RainBot+ is worth $12/year
Texts arrive when things actually change. No app hunting or ads.
You get the details that matter for decisions today and tonight.
Your $12 keeps life-safety alerts free for the whole community.
SMS cuts through even when apps lag on busy weather days.
Pricing
$12 per year. Cancel anytime.
FAQ
How do I upgrade to RainBot+ if I’m already subscribed?
Enter your name, phone, county, and ZIP above if you haven’t already. Then click “Upgrade to RainBot+” and complete checkout with the same phone number.
Do free alerts still work without RainBot+?
Yes. Core NWS/NOAA safety alerts remain free for everyone.
Do I need to download an app?
No. RainBot works entirely over SMS.
What areas does RainBot cover?
All Michigan counties, with expansion planned.
Are these alerts official?
Yes. We relay National Weather Service (NWS/NOAA) alerts.
What if I didn’t get an alert?
Check official sources as backup and contact us if something seems off.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes — via the billing portal.
RainBot+ Pro (Chaser Pack)
$24/year — built for stormchasers & weather nerds. Everything in RainBot+, plus real-time technical data streams.
Pro adds (on top of RainBot+)
- Storm ETA & Track Alerts — polygon + motion vectors → estimated arrival to your location.
- SPC Mesoscale Discussion alerts — concise regional summaries when your area is highlighted.
- Dual radar snapshots — reflectivity & velocity links centered on your county.
- Tornado debris signature flags — radar CC + velocity co-location → debris-ball alerts.
- Lightning density warnings — strike counts within a custom radius (rolling 10-minute windows).
- Severe environment indices — CAPE, shear, LI, dew point extremes when thresholds are breached.
- Daily model run highlights — HRRR / Euro / GFS callouts relevant to your region.
Early-access roadmap: rolling feature releases prioritized by chase season. Your support funds faster development.
RainBot+ vs. Typical Weather Apps
| Feature | RainBot+ | Typical App |
|---|---|---|
| Official NOAA/NWS alerts (direct source) | ✓ Free | Varies / Delays |
| No app to install (SMS works everywhere) | ✓ | ✕ |
| Morning & evening forecast texts | ✓ Premium | ✕ |
| Aurora & astronomical event alerts | ✓ Premium | ✕ |
| Frost/Freeze warnings | ✓ Free | Varies |
| County-tailored messaging | ✓ | Often metro-wide |
| No ads, no data selling | ✓ | ✕ |
| One simple price | ✓ $12/yr | Monthly upsells |
| Built in Michigan for Michiganders | ✓ | National ad apps |
Premium = part of RainBot+. Core life-safety alerts stay free for everyone.