THE STORY
History of StormSync.
How StormSync grew from a general weather monitor into a direct, sub-second NWWS-OI feed.
June 25 2026
StormSync VT/OI v0.0.4 Beta Build
A major access update headlined by Central NWWS-OI Mode, alongside a new Stream tab, an expanded SPC Archive, and a refreshed settings panel.
What's New
- Central NWWS-OI Mode: A new connection mode that lets anyone receive instant NWWS-OI alerts without needing their own NWWS-OI credentials, removing the single biggest barrier to entry.
- Stream Tab: A dedicated tab introducing three new stream elements for use with broadcasting software, alongside major fixes to existing ones. More fixes and additions are planned with every upcoming patch.
- Functional SPC Archive: The archive now reaches as far back as 2003.
- GUI Color Refresh: Interface colors updated to better match the website's design language.
- New Settings: Enable notifications individually for every type of severe alert, and assign sound effects across the board.
- SPC Watches: Now display probability information alongside other associated hazards.
Fixes and Improvements
- Connection Reliability: Fixed connection problems that were causing alerts to not show up.
- General Stability: A round of smaller bug fixes throughout the app.
May 24 2026
StormSync VT/OI v0.0.31 Beta Build
An expansive feature update introducing live environmental predictive tools, data archiving capabilities, and map rendering improvements.
What's New
- Live Outlook Tab: Added a dynamic assessment dashboard that assigns current risk ratings based on specific metrics configured by a StormSync administrator, including violent tornadoes, hail, severe winds, supercells, and mesoscale convective systems.
- SPC Archive: Integrated a historical search feature that allows users to fetch and view past convective outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center dating back to October 2019.
- Warnings Map Update: Upgraded the core map component to actively display every warning currently held within the active system database.
Fixes and Improvements
- Stability Status: No notable fixes required for this deployment cycle.
May 3 2026
StormSync VT/OI v0.0.3 Dev Build
A refinement-heavy development build focused on UI restructuring, upgrade logic fixes, and early support for streaming overlays.
What's New
- Reorganized GUI: Changed around locations of tabs and product details. You can now also minimize them.
- Upgrading Fixes: Fixed nearly all bugs with how tornado alerts are upgraded.
- Stream Elements (Very Experimental): Added stream elements for software like OBS, which for now display alert notifications, alert counters and max alert display.
- Settings Update: Added ability to change colors of alerts. Also finally fixed sounds not saving.
- Expanded Control: Some changes to how the alert injection system works.
Fixes and Improvements
- XMPP Connection Failure: Future XMPP connection failures randomly during long sessions should have been fixed, but I've been unable to replicate the issue.
April 2026
StormSync VT/OI v0.0.22 Update
A massive functionality leap. This version rounds out the SPC data suite and hands the keys to the user with a new Settings engine.
New Features
- Full SPC Integration: Support for Day 1-8 Outlooks and SPC Watches.
- Warnings Map: A new visual layer for tracking active polygons across the CONUS.
- Dynamic Counters: New alert tracking system that calculates totals and identifies the highest severity threat instantly.
- Personalization: Replaced Admin panel with Settings, allowing for custom UI color themes and audio mapping.
- Testing Suite: Integrated manual inject buttons for alerts and MCDs to test notification workflows.
Improvements and Fixes
- Resolved critical MCD parsing bugs that caused missed or duplicate discussions.
- Corrected connection status labels to provide 100% accurate XMPP link feedback.
- Fine-tuned the VTEC engine to better handle action code transitions.
- Optimized XMPP authentication flow and general rendering performance.
April 2026
StormSync VT/OI v0.0.21 Dev Build
A big step forward, focused on a cleaner interface and bringing in more meteorological data. This build takes StormSync from raw data viewer closer to a full monitoring suite.
New Features
- Interface Rebuild: The entire UI was remade. Better navigation, cleaner layout, and a consistent dark-mode look throughout.
- SPC Outlook Tab: New dedicated tab for interactive Day 1 convective outlooks with probability layers.
- MCD Tracking: New tab for Mesoscale Convective Discussions with an interactive map and real-time parsing.
- Sound Engine Rework: Audio notification system rebuilt for lower latency and more reliable playback.
- Admin Panel Rewrite: Inject panel rebuilt with better control and more granular options.
- Manual Disconnect/Reconnect: Added a disconnect button right in the main interface. No more digging through settings.
Improvements and Fixes
- Major performance improvements for high-frequency alert rendering during active outbreak periods.
- Refined VTEC parsing for complex warning cycles involving CAN, EXT, and UPG actions.
- Fixed logic bugs that were mishandling upgraded and cancelled warning states.
- Fixed filtering bugs in the main alert toolbar that were hiding certain alerts.
- Various other minor bug fixes and stability improvements.
March 2026
StormSync VT/OI v0.0.2 Beta
The first patch for VT/OI, all about stability. Real-world testing turned up a cluster of interconnected VTEC parser bugs, which were the main focus of this release.
New Features
- Complete admin inject panel rewrite with correct subtype forcing for all alert types.
- Custom borderless tornado overlay notifications. Stacking, animated, and color-coded.
- Tornado Emergency pulsing border animation; PDS pulses in purple.
- Polygon thumbnail on every alert card for a visual footprint of the warning area.
- Interactive map window. Click any polygon to open a full zoomable map.
- Custom audio system. Assign WAV/MP3/OGG files per tornado tier from the admin panel.
- Four-tab filtering: Tornado, Severe T-Storm, Other Severe, All Severe.
- State dropdown, keyword search, and sort controls on the toolbar.
- Alert auto-expiry. Warnings auto-removed at their VTEC end time.
- Detail panel with full parsed product text, VTEC data, UGC zones, and timing.
- Connect and disconnect audio chimes (synthesized tones).
- Red disconnect button in the titlebar for manual XMPP management.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed alert deduplication. Test injects and live alerts no longer blocked.
- Fixed condensed warnings misread as cancellations (multi-segment VTEC logic).
- Cancellations no longer trigger sound or overlay notifications.
- Tornado Emergency overlay color corrected to pink (#ff69b4).
- Tornado PDS overlay color corrected to purple (#9b30ff).
- Alert cards now display correct action labels (Updated, Extended, Upgraded, etc.).
Oct 2025 to Feb 2026
The Silent Period Hiatus
After v3.0.1, the project went quiet while the whole concept was rethought and rebuilt around a direct data-feed model.
October 2025
StormSync v3.0.1 Legacy
The last release of the original monitoring line. Broad phenomena coverage pulling from public APIs before the shift to NWWS-OI.
July 2025
StormSync v2.0.0 to v2.0.2 Legacy
A significant rewrite with a redesigned interface and better alert parsing under the hood.
June 2025
StormSync v1.0.1 to v1.2.5 Origin
Where it all started. StormSync as a general-purpose NWS alert monitor, establishing the core monitoring loop that later versions built on.