The Weather Channel Max for iPad is a free version of the successful iPhone app with one major difference. This version comes complete with annoying ads. However, it's still a great application to get all the important weather information you need.

The app's main screen is a minimalistic overview of the radar map and current temperature. The navigation menu at the bottom of the screen includes the radar, local forecast, videos, severe weather alerts and the Twitter stream. The radar doesn't seem as smooth as the iPhone version, but still offers a great deal of options. You can view rain, clouds, temperature, UV index and snow. The "future cast" radar feature that you paid for on the iPhone comes free with the iPad version, so you can view the radar in the past, or see where the precipitation is going in the future.

The local forecast screen provides a ton of weather information about your area. You can see current information including the temperature, humidity, wind speed and UV index. You can see detailed information for the next 36 hours, and also the 10-day forecast. The bottom of this screen also shows the radar, twitter feeds from professionals tweeting about weather and weather-related videos. The video section not only includes the forecast, but also news stories and special clips about a variety of weather events.

This app really puts a ton of information at your fingertips, combined with the beautiful iPad display. The only issue I have is the lack of a paid, ad-free version. The ads in this app are a bit more obtrusive than I'd like. There is always an ad on the forecast screen and before videos start. Sometimes, there is also an ad that pops up when switching screens. This full-screen pop-up seems to take forever to load, and is irritating. Still, for all the great information it provides, the Weather Channel Max for iPad is a recommended download.