How accurate are weather apps?

Weather apps are generally accurate for simple forecasts over the next few days; their accuracy can decrease when hazardous weather is expected. Most weather app forecasts are automatically generated from government weather models, which predict the weather by feeding current observations into mathematical equations that represent the physics of the atmosphere. Some apps systematically adjust model forecasts to account for known model errors, and a few have human meteorologists occasionally tweaking the forecast. For many U.S. cities, the top weather apps achieve an accuracy of 80 percent or higher according to Forecast Advisor , a website that grades the accuracy of temperature and precipitation forecasts for the next one to three days. Yet many weather apps provide forecasts 7 to 14 days in the future, even though specific weather forecasts have very little skill beyond 10 days or so. According to meteorologist Jack Sillin , the “illusion of precision” is the “most dangerous aspect of weather apps.”

What should you look for in a weather app?

There are thousands of weather apps in the Apple and Google Play app stores, many with their own unique spin on forecasting. There are the default apps pre-installed on your phone, the paid options filled with massive amounts of data, the local news offerings and the weather apps that include cute pictures of cats. How do you choose? Sources: First, look at their sources. Most apps pull from government weather sources such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Some apps fine-tune the government model data with their own proprietary models or algorithms. Be wary of weather apps that don’t share their sources. Privacy: Weather apps are unique in how often they need to collect your precise location. There is a good reason for it — the more they know about where you are, the better the forecast can be. However, they can also share that information with the advertising industry to target ads. If you’re concerned, read their privacy policy, and check disclosures in the app store. App maker and reviews: Research the developer behind the app, and look at what else they’ve made. Pick apps from known companies with a website and social media presence. As with any app, read the reviews, but keep in mind that people are more likely to complain about bad forecasts than compliment good forecasts. Accuracy: Comparing the accuracy of weather apps is fraught with challenges, especially since the accuracy of any one app can vary by location and type of weather. In his article, Sillin reveals a “dirty secret about weather app accuracy: They’re essentially all the same,” he said. “I challenge anyone to tell me they could tell the difference between one app that’s 0.5%-1.5% more accurate than another. That’s all that separates the #1 ranked app from the #4-5 ranked app in most cities.”

What are some of the best weather apps?

The Weather Channel and AccuWeather consistently rank at or near the top of the app charts for weather. Other weather apps include WeatherBug, Weather Underground, Fox Weather, Windy.com and Carrot Weather. There’s also Apple Weather, the built-in iPhone weather app. These are considered all-in-one weather apps that provide some combination of current conditions, hourly and daily forecasts, radar, satellite, air quality, pollen, weather articles and videos, and push alerts for precipitation and severe weather. Each app has its own features of note:

Should you pay for weather apps?

Most weather apps offer a free baseline set of data and forecasts, although which features are included can vary widely. You usually will have to pay for more-advanced features, such as lightning or longer-range forecasts, and you’ll have to pay if you want an ad-free experience. One exception is Apple’s native weather app, which is entirely free and contains no advertisements. With so many weather apps on the market, it may be worth first exploring what you can get free. To give you a sense of typical pricing, AccuWeather charges 99 cents a month for Premium (no ads) and $1.99 a month for Premium Plus (no ads and extra features). Carrot Weather has paid versions from $1.67 to $3.33 a month, the Weather Channel is $1.99 or $4.99 a month, and Weather Underground is $3.99 a month.

What’s the best way to track extreme weather?

Climate changes means extreme weather events are happening in new places at unexpected times of year. While weather apps can struggle to communicate the complexities of extreme weather forecasts, many do offer ways to get notified when severe weather is possible or imminent. “Now, most weather apps allow you to configure push notifications for watches and warnings, so your phone can give you a heads-up if the weather requires your attention,” Sillin said. AccuWeather and the Weather Channel both have reputable emergency alerts, and your local news apps also should be a first stop in extreme weather. Make sure the apps you choose include official warnings from government organizations including the National Weather Service.

Which apps are best for privacy?

Many apps can make money off targeted advertisements. Carrot Weather’s developer has said the app does not collect location information linked to you. Native apps like Apple’s default weather app are often less likely to share such information. One way to screen apps is to look at their (self-reported) privacy disclosures in the Apple App Store. Look at the list of Data Used to Track you and Data Linked to You for anything alarming, but keep in mind that the apps are reporting this information. If you’re using a third-party app and are concerned about privacy, limit what the app is allowed to collect such as location information by going into your settings and turning off location tracking. The downside is that you might have slightly less accurate forecasts and alerts if the app only knows your city or Zip code rather than exact location.

What are the best specialty weather apps?

For more sophisticated radar views with more options than basic weather apps, try an app that is dedicated to or particularly focused on radar, such as MyRadar, Storm Shield and Storm Radar. If you really want to get serious about radar, check out the two paid apps popular among meteorologists: RadarScope and Radar Omega. For air quality information, check out the Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow , BreezoMeter , and Paku for Purple Air. For winds, waves and water activities, try Windy.app (different from Windy.com) or Surfline . For mountain snow and ski forecasts, try OpenSnow . And for staring at the stars and planets, try Stellarium , Star Walk 2 or Sky Guide . For warnings of a different kind of disaster, try MyShake or QuakeAlertUSA . Powered by the U.S. Geological Survey ShakeAlert system , either app can typically give users on the West Coast up to about 10 seconds of warning before the shaking from an earthquake arrives.

What are alternatives to weather apps?

For more complicated forecasts and potentially dangerous weather, Sillin said there is no substitute for a human meteorologist. So where do you find one? Forecasts on weather.gov are made by National Weather Service meteorologists. In an emergency, tune into your local TV news station, which should have an online streaming option. Look up all your local meteorologists and local NWS accounts and follow them on social media — you can create your own Twitter list, or follow individuals or channels on Facebook and TikTok. And of course, there’s your local weather gang , if you’re lucky enough to have one. Whoever you follow, verify the source and beware of the “ hype-filled and suspect long-range forecasts ” sometimes posted on social media by amateur weather forecasters.

Tech in Your Life

How to choose the best weather app

There are thousands of weather apps vying for a spot on your phone but which should you trust?

By Dan Stillman

and

Heather Kelly

Updated April 4, 2023 at 11:19 a.m. EDT|Published February 23, 2023 at 7:00 a.m. EST

A person in a blizzard with a weather app showing light rain. — (Illustration by Elena Lacey/The Washington Post)

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9 min

States from coast to coast have been battered by a steady stream of extreme weather events, including historic cold in the Northeast, a crippling ice storm in Texas, a barrage of atmospheric rivers in California and over 50 inches of snow in Buffalo.

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This week, authorities warned that extreme weather will probably return this week after severe thunderstorms in the South, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.

Some iPhone users were experiencing outages of the default weather app Tuesday with Apple acknowledging there was a system issue. Luckily, there are a large number of other options for anyone looking for a meteorological update.

More people are relying on weather apps to prepare for extreme weather. With 82 percent of the global digital audience accessing weather information exclusively on mobile devices and 85 percent or more of all mobile minutes spent on apps, according to the 2020 report by ComScore, it’s no wonder there are more than 10,000 mobile weather apps.

The rise of the smartphone weather forecast is taking place amid a decline in the number of people who get their news and weather from TV. But with too many apps, it’s often difficult to choose the best weather app. Not to worry — the Help Desk and Capital Weather Gang are here to help cut through the noise.

There are over 10,000 weather apps to choose from. Tech reporter Heather Kelly breaks down a few of her favorites. (Video: Monica Rodman/The Washington Post)