Unsupported Parameters for “Use Average Conditions” in an Insight

When creating Insights, you have the option to use the Use Average Conditions setting—available for polygon and polyline locations. This option calculates the average value of a selected weather parameter across the full polygon area and triggers the Insight only if the averaged value crosses your defined threshold.

This is useful for operations that rely on area-wide weather trends rather than single-point extremes.

However, not all weather parameters are compatible with this functionality. Some types—such as categorical values, directional parameters, or discrete event indicators—cannot be reliably averaged and are therefore excluded from this feature.

Note: We recommend consulting with your Account Team or support before using this option, as this may not suit every operational need.

What Happens if an Unsupported Parameter Is Used?

If you attempt to enable Use Average Conditions for a parameter that doesn’t support it, the toggle will either be unavailable or non-functional for that specific parameter. These restrictions help maintain data accuracy and prevent misinterpretation.

List of Unsupported Parameters

The following parameters do not support the Use Average Conditions feature:

Transportation parameters:

• Cross Wind Speed Rails
• Cross Wind Gust Rails

Aviation parameteres: 

• Cross Wind Speed
• Cross Wind Gust
• Echo Tops
• Head Wind Gust
• Head Wind Speed
• Icing
• Tail Speed Gust
• Tail Wind Speed

Air Quality parameters: 

• EPA Primary Pollutant
• MEP Primary Pollutant
• Wildfire Smoke Index

Maritime Parameters: 

• Primary Swell Direction
• Secondary Swell Direction
• Tertiary Swell Direction
• Wave Direction
• Wind Wave Direction

Additional Parameters: 

• Fire Index
• Hail Probability
• NWS Weather Type

Note About Operators

When creating an Insight, you may see a checkbox labeled “Use average conditions”. This setting affects how the system evaluates weather data over time—and it behaves differently depending on which operator you choose.

If You Use “Between”:

• The “Use average conditions” box is automatically selected.
• This is because averaging values across time helps determine whether the parameter truly stayed within a range (e.g., between 50°F and 65°F) rather than just briefly passing through it.

If You Use “Greater Than,” “Less Than,” or “Equal To”:

• The checkbox is not selected by default.
• You can enable it manually if averaging conditions makes sense for your scenario.

If Your Insight Has Multiple Rules:

• If any of the rules use “Between”, the average conditions checkbox will be selected by default—even if the other rules use different operators.

Our Recommendation

Keep the checkbox selected for “Between” rules unless you have a specific reason not to. It improves performance and helps avoid false positives or missed triggers. If you’re unsure, reach out to Tomorrow.io Support or your account manager for guidance.

Need Help?

If you’re unsure whether your use case would benefit from the Use Average Conditions setting, or have questions about specific parameters, reach out to your Account Team or contact us at support@tomorrow.io.