"Weather Defender brings advanced warnings, accurate and reliable reporting right to my desk. With its advanced features, it provides the edge we need. And if you can get an edge like this, you need to take it. Winter weather is really hard to call.

"Winter weather is a life and death scenario. People make travel plans based on what they see and hear on radio & TV. We use Weather Defender because we need an absolutely reliable product. There are many alternatives which are not as reliable.

"In the case of winter weather for city government, we need predictive capabilities to be as accurate as possible because they use this information to make vital decisions, such as when and where to deploy snow plows, how many staff to allocate, pretty much everything on the decision side requires as much accuracy as possible. Having the edge on knowing when to plow, or how much snow to expect that can be a significant factor, making tens of thousands of dollars of difference.

"Finally, probably the most significant advantage is Weather Defender's e-mail based alerting. Being able to automatically e-mail people at various levels of the decision chain with specific threat information is crucial. Weather Defender keeps everyone on same page by bringing uniform information to all of us simultaneously."

Patrick Callahan
General Manager of OaheTV and Webmaster for City of Pierre
Pierre, South Dakota

In this latest tutorial, learn how to track real-time weather down to the street-level by adding county and neighborhood streets to your map in Weather Defender:

Watch Tutorial Now

This is one of the most powerful -- and popular -- features in Weather Defender because it significantly enhances your ability to make smart decisions when it comes to severe weather.

"Dangerously cold wind chills were anticipated in the Midwest overnight, including as low as 35 below in eastern Nebraska, minus 45 in parts of South Dakota and negative 50 in North Dakota, according to National Weather Service warnings." (AP)

Jan 7, 2010: Artic air pushes south from Canada triggering
Wind Chill and Freeze Warnings across the U.S.

Jan 7, 2010: The Upper Midwest is experiencing the brunt of the cold,
with with extreme winds and blowing snow

Don't take any chances today or friday--its going to be fatally cold. At least 7 people have died so far this season, including 4 in Chicago. If you can delay or avoid travel plans through the Midwest, you should do so.

If you must go out in this weather, take it seriously. Have the following in your car:

• Cell phone with charger
• Shovel & scrapers
• Flashlight
• Extra Hats, coats, mittens, blankets
• Battery powered radio
• Snack food and water
• Road salt or sand
• First aid kit

Stay safe, and keep an eye out for those who may need your help.

Best Regards,

Rory Groves
Founder & CEO
SWIFT Weather