Weather radar map shows the location of precipitation, its type (rain, snow, and ice) and its recent movement to help you plan your day. Jan 02, 2019 Best Weather Apps for Android for 2019. Arcus Weather lets you view a radar map, current conditions, and daily forecasts. Using a series of deatiled graphs, it.
Whether you're heading out around town or you're planning a long-distance trip, you probably want to know what the weather will be like when you get where you're going—or later that day. A good, reliable weather site or service can tell you, in useful, accurate terms, and this week we're looking at five of the best, based on your nominations.
Earlier in the week we asked you to tell us which weather web sites you thought were the best. You offered tons of suggestions, many of them local to your regions, others with comprehensive global and international forecasts. We only have room for the top five though, and here they are, in no particular order:
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The National Weather Service/NOAA
Many of you noted that when you were looking for a good, reliable weather service, you turned to the pros—the National Weather Service, a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Since many of the other weather sites get their data from the NWS, some of you said, why not go right to the source? Why not get your information from the people who get it themselves from weather stations around the globe, satellites in orbit, and other commercial and public resources? After all, they're the same people responsible for weather alerts and warnings, which you should be on the lookout for.
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The NWS is more than just a clearinghouse of data though—it's also a great destination for weather on a county-by-county basis in the United States. Type in your city and state, or just your zip code, and you'll get a detailed forecast for where you are, or alternatively, where you're headed out to. Current conditions, future predictions, long-term forecasts, historical highs and lows, precipitation chances, radar and satellite maps, and more are all right there, a click away.
Those of you who nominated the NWS and NOAA pointed out that NOAA hired over half of graduates with meteorology degrees, so there's something to be said about going to the source. Additionally, many of you pointed out that one of the best things about the NWS's site is that it's free, ad-free, lean and quick loading, and of course, accurate. Many of you even pointed to the NWS's in-depth analysis of weather patterns, climate conditions, and more around the world as excellent background and additional reading for people who are interested. You can read more in its nomination thread here.
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Weather Underground
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Weather Underground has a semi tumultuous history, but it's always been a favorite among weather buffs, meteorologists, storm chasers, and regular people who just want a trustworthy resource for the weather. (Not related to the other Weather Underground save in name only, since both projects have their roots in and the weather database got its start from the weather database at the University of Michigan.) The service was independent for many years before being purchased by The Weather Channel in 2012. The site still operates independently though, with forecast and weather data collected from over 100,000 member personal weather stations, located in homes, schools, and other locations around the country. Weather enthusiasts still blog regularly about local, regional, and global weather and climate related issues, largely powered by its own community of enthusiasts.
The site itself has been redesigned a few times, but still gives you a great deal of weather information right up front, with events, interesting blog posts, and other member contributions further down the page. Weather Underground is also still home to the much loved (and highly nominated in the call for contenders thread) Wundermap, which is a highly customizable, deeply informative full-screen weather map. Toggle layers on and off along with additional local detail—and when we say local, we mean very local—to find out what's happening in your community, or what the conditions and forecast are across the country.
Those of you who nominated Weather Underground specifically praised the maps, full-screen weather maps (like the Wundermap), and the fact that members (for a small fee) get access to tons of raw data and other information that go far far beyond just getting your local or regional forecast for the next few days. If you want to make your own models, are a meteorologist yourself, or just love geeking out over weather, it's definitely the service for you. Many of you highlighted that it's one of the most accurate and reliable services as well, since it's data isn't just reliant on models and predictions, it's actually culled from real-time, actively-updating weather data from stations all over the map. Read more in its nomination thread here.
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Forecast.io
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Forecast.io is a relative newcomer to the weather game, launching in 2013 with a minimalist, animated weather report for your location that keeps the important details front and center. Temperature, location, current conditions, and a forecast for the next hour, 24 hours, and 7 days in short form right where you can see them—above the fold. Scroll down for more detail on those forecasts, including long-term data, forecast lines (so you can see general trends), and additional goodies like radar data and high definition weather maps. Forecast.io isn't quite for the weather buff exactly—it's not teeming with detailed information that would be of interest to meteorologists, pilots, and other storm chasers, but it's exceptional for people looking for a no-nonsense forecast with just enough data to be useful without so much that things get muddy.
Forecast.io Delivers a Useful Animated Weather Report for Your Location, All On One Page
Forecast.io is a well-designed, good-looking weather site that puts all of the most relevant and…
Read more Read Those of you who nominated Forecast.io noted that their forecasts—especially for the upcoming 48 hours, and that the design is minimal and focused on the information that you actually care about. Many of you praised its open API, others noted it translates fantastically to mobile, and it looks just as great on smartphone and tablet screens as in your browser. Some of you mentioned that part of the reason they're so accurate is because their forecasts are actually a calculated aggregate of other available forecast data. You can read more in its nomination thread here.
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The Fucking Weather
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The Fucking Weather, as its name implies, tells you what the weather is. That's it. Whether it's hot, cold, or whatever—there are no maps, no models, no radar, no detailed forecasts, none of that crap—just what the fucking weather is, whether it's hot or cold, current conditions, and that's all. Scroll down a little and you do get the 'fucking forecast,' which shows you high and low temperatures for the next four days (provided, hilariously, from Weather Underground.) Just type in your location, get the weather, and really the only options on the site was 'I want fucking Celsius,' and 'Remember my fucking weather,' which tells the site your location so the next time you come back you'll get the same, accurate, no frills weather report. Make no mistake, it's hilarious, but it's also useful, especially if, well, all you want to know is what the fucking weather is, and it's one of our favorite sites that tell you what the fuck to do.
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Read more Read Those of you who nominated The Fucking Weather—and yes, there were more than enough of you for the site to secure its place in the top five—praised it for being simple, to the point, and while it's not a site for people who love the weather or climate or love to study maps and data, it's definitely a site for someone who just wants to know whether they should take their umbrella for the commute home tonight, or whether it's worthwhile to put on that extra layer. Read more in its nomination thread here.
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WeatherSpark
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Weatherspark prides itself on its graphs, charts, and other detailed weather data all available in a single view. Wind speed, precipitation, mean and average temperatures, temperature graphs over the course of a day—or days, or weeks, or even yearly trends, and more all make it a great site for weather and climate geeks who want as much data as possible at their fingertips. It's also insanely accurate for those people looking to know exactly what temperature it'll be when they leave work tomorrow, and what the odds there'll be precipitation at that time—or what the weather in their destination will look like when they get off their plane, for example. Just type in your location, and you'll get a beautiful, into Google search. Of course, Google's weather forecasts are provided by Weather.com, which didn't get enough support to make the top five on its own. You can read its nomination thread here.
Have something to say about one of the contenders? Want to make the case for your personal favorite, even if it wasn't included in the list? Remember, the top five are based on your most popular nominations from the call for contenders thread from earlier in the week. Don't just complain about the top five, let us know what your preferred alternative is—and make your case for it—in the discussions below.
The Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it didn't get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it's a bit of a popularity contest. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at [email protected]!
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There are no-nonsense apps that simply present the core conditions and others that provide information in a more vibrant, eye-catching style. While this genre of Windows 10 apps is difficult to narrow down to just a few choices, we sifted through the Store and have this collection to offer as the best weather apps for Windows 10.
[Best Windows 10 apps of 2017](/Best Windows 10 Apps of 2017)
MSN Weather
MSN Weather is a popular offering from Microsoft that covers all of the basics and more. The clean appearance helps add to the attraction of this weather app. Key features for MSN Weather include:
- Local forecast that includes current conditions, 10-day extended forecast, hourly breakdowns of what you should expect from Mother Nature, sunrise and sunset times, and more.
- Animated weather maps that include radar, temperature, satellite, cloud and radar forecast imagery.
- Historical weather information that breaks down a location's monthly weather patterns.
- Severe weather alerts appear on the local forecast page to alert you when the weather bears watching.
MSN Weather also includes a news section so you can get caught up with all the weather headlines. Live Tile support and Lockscreen support are present, and you can log into MSN Weather with your Microsoft Account to synchronize settings and preferences between Windows 10 devices.
I would like to see toast notifications and the option to use local images with the Lockscreen support. Still, it's clear why MSN Weather is as popular as it is. The free Windows 10 app is available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile, as well as Xbox One.
Appy Weather
Appy Weather is one of the cleanest looking weather apps available in the Windows Store. Navigating around the app is fast and fluid, taking full advantage of the panoramic and modern design. Forecast information is presented in a more personal way, not only offering the nuts and bolts of the forecast but also how it feels. For example, if it is brutally cold out today, tomorrow's forecast might add that it should not be as cold as it feels today.
Key features for Appy Weather include:
- Forecasts for today, tomorrow and the upcoming weekend.
- Seven day extended forecast.
- Severe weather notifications.
- Live Tile and Lockscreen support.
Current conditions are abbreviated to display the temperature, a general weather pattern (clear, raining, or cloudy) and a 'feels like' temperature. You can extend this display to reveal additional weather information such as chances of rain, cloud cover, wind speed and direction, humidity levels, visibility, barometric pressure, dew point and UV index. If a storm is anywhere close to your location, that information is provided as well.
Appy Weather lacks a weather radar feature, but overall, if you are looking for a clean looking, easy-to-navigate weather app to provide you with no-nonsense weather information Appy Weather is worth a try. The app is available for Windows 10 Mobile, and a seven-day trial version is available to let you try out Appy Weather. The full version of Appy Weather costs $3.99.
Forecast
Forecast joins the ranks of clean-looking, informative weather apps available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile. This weather app covers millions of locations worldwide and offers both Live Tile and Lockscreen support.
Key features for Forecast include:
- Current conditions, along with weekly and hourly forecast periods.
- Meteogram view for weekly and hourly forecast that provides an easy, at-a-glance view of what is expected out of the weather.
- Location awareness to automatically download your weather information based on your current location.
- The background image can be set to Bing's Image of the Day or a color pattern.
While Forecast lacks any weather maps or severe weather notifications, it is a good looking source for basic weather information that can help you plan out your day or week. Forecast currently costs $1.49.
Strawberry Weather
If you are looking for a simple and colorful weather app, check out Strawberry Weather. This Windows 10 weather app delivers your current conditions, an extended forecast, weather alerts and Lockscreen and Live-Tile support, wrapped in a vibrant package.
Key features for Strawberry Weather includes:
- Local forecast information, as well as a seven day, extended forecast.
- Live Tile and Lockscreen support.
- 12 colorful themes.
- Support for Dark Sky weather services (paid subscription) that delivers real-feel temperatures, down-to-the-minute forecasts for the next hour, severe weather alerts and more.
While Strawberry Weather lacks a weather map or radar feature, it has support for toast notifications. Notifications can be set to alert you of routine weather conditions throughout the day, or filtered to only alert you to severe weather issues.
The free app is available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile, with the subscription option for Dark Sky services and a $0.99 option to unlock a premium feature that automatically adds nearby places to your favorite locations page. That feature that could come in handy to alert you to weather conditions as you travel.
All in all, Strawberry Weather is a colorful way to track the weather, and it delivers a ton of features to your Windows 10 device.
Prognoza
Prognoza is an eye-catching weather app for Windows 10 Mobile. The clean design delivers the basic forecast information and current conditions to your phone with Live Tile and Lockscreen support. Prognoza can track your weather based on your Windows 10 Mobile location services or by specific locations that can be added manually.
Other key features for Prognoza include:
- Hourly and seven-day forecasts.
- Current conditions including temperature (current, and high and low), humidity, pressure, sunrise and sunset times, cloud coverage and wind.
- Multiple themes and icon sets to allow you to customize Prognoza's appearance.
- Customizable toast notifications to alert you to specific conditions (sunny, clouds, rain, storms, fog and snow).
- Multiple language support.
The background image for Prognoza reflects the current conditions, and the extended forecast screens are accentuated with similar imagery.
On the downside, Prognoza lacks any weather maps (radar or satellite) preventing it from being a more comprehensive weather source. However, even without weather imagery Prognoza delivers a decent amount of weather information to keep you up to date on the conditions outside. Prognoza currently costs $1.49.
If you have tried any of these Windows 10 weather apps, let us know what you think in the comments. Deciding which Windows 10 weather apps rank as the best has challenging, so we welcome your feedback.
There are other options such as Perfect Weather Universal, NOAA Hi-Def Radar and Accuweather. If we have overlooked your favorite Windows 10 weather app, feel free to toss out your recommendation in the comments as well!
Updated January 04, 2017: These remain the weather apps that we continue to view as the best from the Windows Store.