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bobright

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jun 29, 2010
4,813
33
What has everybody's experience been? Is there better alternatives in the app store?
 

aristobrat

macrumors G5
Oct 14, 2005
12,292
1,403
What has everybody's experience been? Is there better alternatives in the app store?
IIRC, default weather app (in the US) uses Yahoo for the data. I haven't had any problems with it.

I also keep Weatherbug around, because it will notify me when there are any weather alerts, which the stock one doesn't.
 

takeshi74

macrumors 601
Feb 9, 2011
4,974
68
Depends on a number of variables including weather in your region and the specific weather station that the app is using and its relevance to weather where you are. Some regions have more variations in weather than others. Not too long ago I was reading about the weather station used in my area and how it could vary quite a bit from conditions at ground level since it was located on a helipad at the top of a building in our medical center.

Is there better alternatives in the app store?
Better in what ways? Always clarify exactly what you mean by better instead of just assuming that what you mean is a universal matter.
 

Mrbobb

macrumors 603
Aug 27, 2012
5,009
209
I think they all pull data from the same sources almost. Major metro areas you should have no trouble using whatever that gives you the best interface.
 

luckydcxx

macrumors 65816
Jun 13, 2013
1,158
419
it is accurate but it would be nice if you could have a little more info for the rest of the week. I tried today to see how much snow I would be getting today/tomorrow and there is no way to tell without using another app/website. Just a picture of a snowflake isn't cutting it.

They do give you the "chance of snow" percentage but not how many inches.
 

AllergyDoc

macrumors 68000
Mar 17, 2013
1,985
8,961
Utah, USA
Mine is always off. Today I was told it was 104 outside; The Weather Channel said it was 54. It's not uncommon for it it be 10 degrees off based on TWC and car temp features.
 

colodane

macrumors 65816
Nov 11, 2012
1,015
457
Colorado
The "Weatherbug" app is much better than the standard Apple app that uses Yahoo data. Weatherbug gives a LOT more information, has a very user-friendly interface and graphics and tells you exactly the location in your city it is getting the info from. For mid and large sized cities you will have your choice of two or more locations.
 

Tritto

macrumors regular
Jan 29, 2014
114
56
If it uses Yahoo data then it's rubbish.

The Yahoo data for Australia bears little relation to the official forecasts issued by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. There is a yahoo weather app that looks beautiful and is winning awards but fails in its primary function - giving you accurate forecasts.
 

ericg301

macrumors 68020
Jun 15, 2010
2,265
2,434
The "Weatherbug" app is much better than the standard Apple app that uses Yahoo data. Weatherbug gives a LOT more information, has a very user-friendly interface and graphics and tells you exactly the location in your city it is getting the info from. For mid and large sized cities you will have your choice of two or more locations.

The newly updated Weatherbug is simply atrocious. And they killed the "elite" version with no ads with no communication to their existing customers. It just disappeared.

I've really been liking the updated Weather Underground app. It's a bit jarring at first but worth the slight-learning curve. I've paid to remove ads on that too.
 

cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,154
Mine is as good as the forecast which is questionable at best to say the least. If I look at current conditions its accurate for the most part...
 

ericg301

macrumors 68020
Jun 15, 2010
2,265
2,434
Mine is as good as the forecast which is questionable at best to say the least. If I look at current conditions its accurate for the most part...

i could care less about current conditions. that's what a window is for.

for me, i judge weather apps on how the forecast the future. 98% of the time, that's what i use them for.
 

psac

macrumors 6502a
Jul 6, 2009
905
719
I find the Accuweather app much more informational. I use that one all the time.
 

Lefty21

macrumors regular
Aug 6, 2012
107
7
Lexington, KY
As others have said, it's pretty much as accurate as any other weather app. I use it regularly, but I also keep the Weather Channel app around in case I want to look at the radar map. That is the biggest feature I feel is missing from the stock app.
 

cambookpro

macrumors 604
Feb 3, 2010
7,189
3,321
United Kingdom
In the UK, I find BBC Weather is most accurate (uses data from the Met Office).

However, no app really predicts reliably beyond 24 hours. A few days before it may say rain all day, but you'd look in the morning and it says it'll be clear. I guess that's just the nature of weather prediction.
 

carlgo

macrumors 68000
Dec 29, 2006
1,806
17
Monterey CA
The app doesn't always show weather that I like. Other than that, it is pretty accurate and I like the illustrated rain and thunder.
 

Lucille Carter

Suspended
Jul 3, 2013
1,266
4
Results can vary and I like to use several sources. My favorite is weatherunderground.com. Their WonderMap is the most adjustable I have seen. It is also fast.
 

BeeGood

macrumors 68000
Sep 15, 2013
1,859
6,120
Lot 23E. Somewhere in Georgia.
What has everybody's experience been? Is there better alternatives in the app store?

It doesn't work well for me (suburbs of Atlanta, GA).

It often doesn't even tell me the right location (says I'm in Summerest, NJ half the time). Others the weather shows the temp from a few hours ago.

It looks great but I can't use it.

I use the weather channel app. Probably not the best but I can always rely on its accuracy.
 

businezguy

macrumors 6502
Jun 23, 2003
389
456
It doesn't work well for me (suburbs of Atlanta, GA).

It often doesn't even tell me the right location (says I'm in Summerest, NJ half the time). Others the weather shows the temp from a few hours ago.

It looks great but I can't use it.

I use the weather channel app. Probably not the best but I can always rely on its accuracy.

Actually, Yahoo Weather added that as a feature. They report weather from a better location then where you live so you can feel more prosperous and successful. You'll be getting private school ratings for your "area" as well.
 

cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,154
Since my last post I've found the stock weather app to be absolutely terrible. I don't know what has happened but it's not just my local weather but the surrounding area up to an hour away.

It's currently 7 degrees off, which is nothing considering earlier today it was 16 degrees off (said it was 79 locally when it was 63). And that's CURRENT weather which should be reported accurately.

I actually searched and found this thread hoping there was a way to change it off of yahoo weather. Appears not, looks like yet another Apple feature (in notifications) I'll turn off and app I'll add to my junk folder. (Sigh) It's filling up quick.
 

colodane

macrumors 65816
Nov 11, 2012
1,015
457
Colorado
Check out the WeatherBug app. Much better than the stock Apple weather. It gives very localized weather. In a medium sized city you will have your choice of several locations. Much more detailed info and better graphics also, and I think it is free.
 
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