How to Find the Most Accurate Weather Source for Your Area (And See Which Apps Use It) (2024)

Not all weather sources are equal. When you're looking at the forecast, you hope that it's at least semi-accurate so you can plan the week and days ahead, but many sources are unreliable. And with the famous Dark Sky API shutting down on March 31, 2023, you'll need an alternative source of weather information if you use an app that utilizes that API.

Finding an accurate weather app isn't easy since there are so many different ones to choose from in the App Store (iOS/iPadOS) and Play Store (Android). Many of these won't even state what data source is used for weather predictions, and data sources can vary wildly in accuracy across the United States.

Luckily, there is a valuable resource that'll help you find the best weather API for your location, which can help you pick the best mobile app for more accurate weather outlooks. And if none of those are good enough, you always have the option to predict the weather yourself.

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Use ForecastAdvisor to Find the Most Accurate Forecasts

ForecastWatch's ForecastAdvisor is a great website that can help you find out what weather API or app is most accurate for your area. It collects weather forecasts from different weather services each day for various locations across the U.S. and verifies them against what really happened using data provided by the National Weather Service Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS).

When viewing a location, ForecastAdvisor shows you a percentage that measures the accuracy of each source in the last month and last year. While these are definitely not all of the source APIs available in the U.S., ForecastAdvisor provides a solid place to start using the ones tracked publicly.

How to Find the Most Accurate Weather Source for Your Area (And See Which Apps Use It) (1)
How to Find the Most Accurate Weather Source for Your Area (And See Which Apps Use It) (2)

The overall accuracy percent is computed from the one- to three-day out accuracy percentages for high temperature, low temperature, icon forecast precipitation (both rain and snow), and text forecast precipitation (both rain and snow). Temperature accuracy is the percentage of forecasts within three degrees. Precipitation accuracy is the percentage of correct forecasts. The forecasts are collected in the evening each day.

ForecastAdvisor pulls from 12 different source APIs to calculate each of its percentages, including AccuWeather, AerisWeather, Foreca, the National Weather Service, OpenWeather, The Weather Channel and Weather Underground by IBM, Weatherbit, Weather News, Wetter, and World Weather Online, as well as the soon-to-be-closed Dark Sky.

While Accuweather and The Weather Channel use proprietary weather forecast data, many other sources gather meteorological data from the United States National Weather Service. Some services augment the data with thousands of home weather stations, user reports, or other forecast services.

Simply go to forecastadvisor.com and type in a ZIP code or city and state. After you put that in, you'll see a short forecast, weather accuracy for the last month, the weather accuracy for the previous year, and brief weather changeability data.

If you want to know how much the weather can change day to day in an area, you can use the "Further changeability analysis" link near the bottom of the page.

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Weather Apps That Use the Most Accurate APIs

Part of the issue is finding an app with a decent interface that uses some of the APIs that ForecastAdvistor monitors. We've listed a few popular apps below. It's not an all-inclusive list, but it's a good start once you use ForecastAdvisor to narrow down the most accurate APIs for your area.

If there is an official app, I have included those along with notating my personal favorites. You will notice that some apps allow you to choose which API service to use so that they may be listed twice. Some of the services don't have many apps that use the API. If you find one, let us know in the comments below.

Many popular apps aren't listed because they either use their own API, one that isn't listed on ForecastAdvisor, the Dark Sky API (which will be discontinued at the end of 2022), or an unidentified source. These apps include Dark Sky Weather (iOS), WeatherBug (iOS and Android), Weather by Impala Studios (iOS), Storm Tracker by Impala Studio (iOS), MySunset (iOS and Android), and more.

1. AccuWeather

  • Official App: AccuWeatheriOS, Android (free with ads, $0.99/month, or $8.99/year)
  • Favorite: CARROT Weather: Alerts & RadariOS, Android (free, Premium $4.99/month or $19.99/year, Ultra $9.99/month or $39.99/year, Ultra Family $14.99/month or $59.99/year)
  • Hello WeatheriOS, Android (with in-app purchase of $44.99, $1.99/month, or $12.99/year)
  • Today WeatheriOS, Android (free with ads, $0.99/3 month, or $1.99/year)
  • Overdrop WeatheriOS, Android (with in-app purchase of $1.99/month, $2.99/3 months, or $10.49/year)
How to Find the Most Accurate Weather Source for Your Area (And See Which Apps Use It) (5)
How to Find the Most Accurate Weather Source for Your Area (And See Which Apps Use It) (6)

2. Aeris Weather

  • Favorite: CARROT Weather: Alerts & RadariOS, Android (free, Premium $4.99/month or $19.99/year, Ultra $9.99/month or $39.99/year, Ultra Family $14.99/month or $59.99/year)
  • Hello WeatheriOS, Android (with in-app purchase of $44.99, $1.99/month, or $12.99/year)
  • What The Forecast?!!iOS, Android (free with ads or $1.99)

3. Foreca

  • Official App: Foreca WeatheriOS, Android (free with ads, $0.99/3 months, or $2.99/year)
  • Favorite: CARROT Weather: Alerts & RadariOS, Android (free, Premium $4.99/month or $19.99/year, Ultra $9.99/month or $39.99/year, Ultra Family $14.99/month or $59.99/year)
  • Hello WeatheriOS, Android (with in-app purchase of $44.99, $1.99/month, or $12.99/year)
  • Today WeatheriOS, Android (free with ads, $0.99/3 month, or $1.99/year)
  • Weather LiveiOS, Android (free with ads, $9.99/month, or $19.99/year)
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How to Find the Most Accurate Weather Source for Your Area (And See Which Apps Use It) (10)

4. National Weather Service

  • Favorite: WillyWeatheriOS, Android (free with ads or $3.99)
  • Clime: NOAA Weather Radar LiveiOS, Android (free, $9.99/month, or $19.99/year)
  • MyRadariOS, Android (free with ads, $3.99/month, or $14.99/year)
  • Today WeatheriOS, Android (free with ads, $0.99/3 month, or $1.99/year)
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How to Find the Most Accurate Weather Source for Your Area (And See Which Apps Use It) (12)

5. Open Weather

  • Official App: OpenWeather – iOS, Android (free)
  • Today WeatheriOS, Android (free with ads, $0.99/3 months, or $1.99/year)
  • Overdrop WeatheriOS, Android (free with ads or $1.99/month, $2.99/3 months, or $10.49/year)
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6. The Weather Channel / Weather Underground

  • Official App: The Weather ChanneliOS, Android (free, $4.99/month, or $29.99/year)
  • Official App: Weather UndergroundiOS, Android (free with ads, $3.99/month, or $19.99/year)
  • Apple's Weather appiOS (free)
  • Samsung's Weather app – Android (free)
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7. Weatherbit

  • Overdrop WeatheriOS, Android (free with ads or $1.99/month, $2.99/3 months, or $10.49/year)
  • Today WeatheriOS, Android (free with ads, $0.99/3 month, or $1.99/year)
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How to Find the Most Accurate Weather Source for Your Area (And See Which Apps Use It) (18)

8. Wetter

  • Official App: Weather & Radar - Storm AlertsiOS, Android (free with ads, $0.99/month, or $6.99/year)

9. World Weather Online

  • Official App: WorldWeatherOnlineiOS, Android (free with ads or $1.99/year)
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Build Your Own Weather Station for More Predictions

Most weather API services use many different weather stations to help get a data point to predict the meteorological conditions around the country. As mentioned above, they aggregate data from the NWS and other sources to create better weather predictions. One of those sources is individually owned weather stations.

So if you were to own a personal weather station, you could make different weather APIs better for everyone. On top of that, you'll be able to get your own individualized weather report which could be more accurate for your exact area — especially when it comes to the temperature.

Of course, if you were to own a personal weather station, you wouldn't have to share it with everyone. You have the option of making it a public weather station, sharing the data with only APIs, or you can make it just a private weather station for yourself.

Some of the apps from above — like CARROT Weather (iOS, Android) — allow you to add your weather station if you pay for its premium version. However, many private weather stations have their own app that will enable you to monitor your area's weather.

Good Options for a Personal Weather Station:

How to Find the Most Accurate Weather Source for Your Area (And See Which Apps Use It) (21)
How to Find the Most Accurate Weather Source for Your Area (And See Which Apps Use It) (22)

Just updated your iPhone? You'll find new features for TV, Messages, News, and Shortcuts, as well as important bug fixes and security patches. Find out what's new and changed on your iPhone with the iOS 17.6 update.

Cover photo and screenshots by Daniel Hipskind/Gadget Hacks
How to Find the Most Accurate Weather Source for Your Area (And See Which Apps Use It) (2024)

FAQs

How to Find the Most Accurate Weather Source for Your Area (And See Which Apps Use It)? ›

ForecastAdvisor will show you the accuracy of the major weather forecasters, including Accuweather, AerisWeather, Foreca, the National Weather Service, Open Weathermap, The Weather Channel, Weather Underground, Wetter, World Weather Online, and Weather News.

What is the most accurate weather app for your area? ›

  • AccuWeather. AccuWeather has comprehensive planning features that use weather data to help you manage allergies, safely drive, or boost productivity. ...
  • The Weather Channel. The Weather Channel's app is slick and capable. ...
  • Weather Underground. ...
  • What The Forecast. ...
  • Yahoo Weather. ...
  • Carrot Weather. ...
  • WeatherBug. ...
  • FlowX.

Which weather source is most accurate? ›

If you take time to actually study and understand weather data, the forecasts that you get from the Aviation Weather Center and the National Weather Service are probably the most accurate that you can obtain.

How to find the most accurate weather? ›

AccuWeather gathers the best and most comprehensive weather data to deliver forecasts with Superior Accuracy. Forecasts are pinpointed for every location on Earth and extend further ahead than any other source.

Which is more accurate, NOAA or weather Channel? ›

With the advantage of having The Weather Service's forecasts and data as a starting point, it's perhaps unsurprising that The Weather Channel manages to be slightly more accurate in their forecasts.

What weather app is 100% accurate for free? ›

AccuWeather – Most Accurate Weather App

Up to the minute weather reports. Global weather coverage.

Is AccuWeather actually accurate? ›

The study analyzed 120 million forecasts from over 1,000 locations globally over a four-year period ending December 31, 2018, and AccuWeather was found to be the clear winner as the most accurate provider of weather forecasts in temperature, precipitation and wind speed– a clean sweep of all categories -- for a 1-5 ...

What weather station is the most accurate? ›

The 5 Best Home Weather Stations To Get Real-Time Updates
  • Best Home Weather Station Overall : Ambient Weather WS-2000 Smart Weather Station.
  • Best Budget Home Weather Station: La Crosse Weather Station.
  • Best Compact Home Weather Station: Tempest Weather System.
Aug 5, 2024

Who has the most accurate weather model? ›

ECMWF. The European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model is another global numerical weather prediction model that is highly regarded for its accuracy. It employs advanced data assimilation techniques and sophisticated numerical algorithms to simulate atmospheric processes.

Which type of weather forecast is the most accurate and detailed? ›

Short-range weather forecasts are considerably more accurate than long-range forecasts. In fact, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a five-day forecast is accurate about 80% of the time. A one-day temperature forecast is typically accurate within 2.5 degrees.

Which is the correct weather app? ›

1. AccuWeather. AccuWeather has been around for a long time and is a really reliable app for tracking weather updates. It offers a 15-day forecast and a four-hour minute-by-minute forecast.

What is the most accurate way to predict the weather? ›

Polar orbiting satellites provide the information most useful for long-term weather forecasting. These satellites use instruments to measure energy, called radiation, emitted by the Earth and atmosphere. This information is incorporated into weather models, which in turn leads to more accurate weather forecasts.

Which weather radar is the most accurate? ›

The WSR-88D is one of the most powerful and advanced Weather Surveillance Doppler Radar in the world. Since first being built and tested in 1988, it has been installed and used operationally at over 160 locations across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii.

What is the most trustworthy weather source? ›

IBM's The Weather Company Continues to Be the World's Most Accurate Forecaster Overall, Despite Growing Competition and Amid Weather's Increased Impact. - The Weather Company was over 3 times more likely to be the most accurate forecaster than other weather providers studied.

Which weather site is the most accurate? ›

According to ForecastWatch, the premier organization for evaluating the accuracy of weather forecasts, The Weather Company is more likely to be the most accurate across all geographic regions studied (U.S., Canada, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific) and time periods covered.

Is there a better app than The Weather Channel? ›

The Weather Channel and 1Weather are also solid options, while Clime NOAA Weather Radar Live and Radarscope are a great way to access more detailed satellite views of the sky. Your stock weather app might be ok for the time being, but it's always worth checking out alternatives on offer.

What weather app do storm chasers use? ›

RadarScope is an app for your phone that brings live NWS radar to the palm of your hands. Most radar apps process the data on a server before pushing a jpeg or gif image to their app. RadarScope uses raw data processed on your phone. This means you see the data almost as fast as NWS forecasters see the data.

Is Google weather forecast accurate? ›

The model has shown a 90% verification rate and surpasses the accuracy of traditional weather prediction technologies. It uses the two most recent states of Earth's weather to predict the state of the weather in the future.

Is the weather app ever accurate? ›

Meteorologists are never going to be 100% accurate whether it is through your phone app or through NWS. So check the forecast, but be prepared for anything.

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