Privacy Policy · Effective October 22, 2026
Privacy Policy
This policy explains what information HeatStorms.org (https://heatstorms.org) collects when you use the site, why, who else receives it, and the choices you have. We’ve tried to keep it plain and specific.
The short version
- You can use the whole site without an account or giving us your name or email.
- We use analytics tools (Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity, Jetpack Stats and WP Statistics) to understand how the site is used. They use cookies and similar technology.
- If you subscribe to alerts or use the contact form, we receive the details you enter.
- When you search for a city or ZIP code, your browser sends that search directly to our weather data provider, Open-Meteo. We don’t store your searches on our server.
- We don’t sell your personal information.
Information you give us
Email alerts
When you subscribe, we collect your email address. Subscriptions are managed through Jetpack and WordPress.com, services of Automattic, which store your address, send you a confirmation email, deliver alerts, and may record whether emails are opened or clicked. Every email includes a link to unsubscribe.
Contact form
When you send a message, we collect your name, email address and message, along with technical details such as your IP address and browser type. Messages are emailed to us and stored in our site’s dashboard so we can reply. Form submissions are checked for spam by Akismet, an Automattic service.
Comments
If we allow comments on articles, we collect the name, email address and comment you submit, plus your IP address and browser details, which are checked for spam by Akismet. An anonymized version of your email address may be checked against the Gravatar service (also run by Automattic) to show your profile picture.
Information collected automatically
Like most websites, we collect some information automatically when you visit, such as your IP address, browser and device type, the pages you view, the site that referred you, and the approximate location derived from your IP address. We use these tools:
- Google Analytics (Google), installed through Google Site Kit, measures visits and how people use the site.
- Microsoft Clarity (Microsoft) records how visitors interact with pages, including clicks, scrolling and mouse movement, and produces heatmaps and session replays that help us find and fix confusing parts of the site. Microsoft may combine this with data from its Bing advertising services.
- Jetpack Stats (Automattic) counts page views and visitors.
- WP Statistics records visit statistics on our own server.
- Our web host, Bluehost, keeps standard server logs, including IP addresses, for security and operations.
Location searches and weather data
The “How hot is it where you are?” feature runs in your browser. When you search, the text you type (a city name or ZIP code) is sent directly from your browser to Open-Meteo to find the location and get its forecast and historical temperatures. That request is not sent to our server, and we don’t keep a record of what you searched. Open-Meteo, like any web service, receives your IP address with the request.
To save time on your next visit, your browser stores your last search, your °F or °C choice, and the normal temperatures for that place in its local storage. This stays on your device; you can clear it at any time through your browser’s settings.
The heat map and alerts load data from the National Weather Service, NOAA and Environment and Climate Change Canada, and pages also load fonts and code libraries from Google Fonts, unpkg and jsDelivr. These services receive your IP address and basic browser information when your browser requests files from them, as they would for any website.
Cookies
Cookies are small files stored by your browser. These are the main ones the site uses:
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| _ga, _ga_* | Google Analytics | Distinguishes visitors and sessions for usage statistics |
| _clck, _clsk, CLID, MUID, ANONCHK, SM, MR | Microsoft Clarity and Bing | Identifies visitors and sessions for Clarity’s heatmaps and session replays |
| WordPress and Jetpack cookies | This site | Remember comment details if you choose, keep logged-in editors signed in, and support the subscribe and contact forms |
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. The site still works without them, although analytics won’t count your visit.
How we use information
- To run the site and show you heat data for the places you search.
- To send the email alerts you sign up for.
- To reply to messages you send us.
- To understand how the site is used and improve it.
- To keep the site secure and block spam and abuse.
Who we share information with
We don’t sell your personal information. We share it only with the service providers named in this policy (Automattic, Google, Microsoft, Bluehost and Open-Meteo) so they can provide their services to us, and when required by law. Each provider handles data under its own privacy policy:
How long we keep it
- Subscriber email addresses: until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete them.
- Contact messages: as long as needed to respond and keep a record of the conversation, unless you ask us to delete them.
- Analytics data: for the retention periods set in each analytics service.
Your choices and rights
- Unsubscribe from alerts at any time using the link in any email.
- Limit tracking by blocking cookies in your browser or using Google’s Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
- Ask for a copy, correction or deletion of personal information we hold about you, such as your subscription or messages, by contacting us. Depending on where you live, for example California or the European Union, you may have additional rights under local law, and we’ll honor requests as those laws require.
Children
HeatStorms.org is a general-audience site and isn’t directed at children under 13. We don’t knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has given us personal information, please contact us and we’ll delete it.
Changes to this policy
If we change how we handle information, for example by adding a new service, we’ll update this page and the effective date at the top.
Contact
Questions about this policy or your information? Use our contact form.