- Dark Sky founders launched new forecast app, Acme Weather
- The new app displays alternative forecasts to show weather changes that could occur throughout the day.
- It also added a community reporting tool, as well as refined custom notification settings.
Remember the days of the Dark Sky weather app before it was disbanded by Apple? Well, its creators are back with an alternative that recognizes that weather forecasts are often very wrong.
The new weather forecasting platform, called Acme Weather, is now available for download on iOS devices, and its rollout to Android is already in the works. You can try it with a two-week free trial, and then it requires a $25 annual subscription fee, much cheaper than Dark Sky’s $3.99 monthly fee.
Acme Weather marks the founders’ return to forecasting apps since Apple acquired Dark Sky in 2020, whose tools were eventually adopted into the flagship weather app (which has come under scrutiny for inaccuracies) when Dark Sky was phased out.
But Acme Weather’s biggest selling point is that it doesn’t just give you a forecast; it provides you with alternative weather results to show which direction your local forecast might go. Co-founder Adam Grossman goes into more detail in his blog post, sharing the following information:
“It’s simple: Looking at the landscape of countless weather apps, many of them charming, we found ourselves feeling dissatisfied. The more we talked to our friends and family, the more we learned that many of them did too. And, of course, we missed those days of the scrappy little store.”
Using multiple data sources, including weather forecast models, satellite data and ground station observations, Acme Weather provides a “core” forecast, supported by additional forecast lines with alternative results, showing possible weather changes (see below).
The black line shows Acme Weather’s main forecast reading, while the faint gray lines highlight changes that could occur. When the alternate lines are grouped closer together, it indicates that the main forecast is reliable, and when the alternate lines are spaced further apart, it indicates that the weather will likely change throughout the day. This way you will have a better idea of what to expect and can plan accordingly.
To improve forecast accuracy, Acme Weather has also developed a community reporting feature that allows users to submit local weather reports within the app. You can choose from a list of pre-selected weather conditions or even use emojis, and Acme will display them in the app for other users in your area to see.
As for other weather apps, I find that most of them haven’t really hit the nail on the head when it comes to notifications. Although I use the Met Office app and trust it with my life, I have to remember to check it constantly, and sometimes my home screen widget shows incorrect data. Acme Weather is doubling down on notifications, bringing Dark Sky’s reliable notifications system, but with a new twist.
Beyond notifications from community reports, timely rain warnings, and even severe forecast warnings issued by the government, Acme Weather introduces a new personalized notifications tool allowing you to set your notifications based on your top interests and concerns.
As mentioned, Acme Weather is currently only available on iOS, so you’ll have to wait a little longer for its Android debut. Although it’s still early days, Acme Weather already appears to be a faithful continuation of what Dark Sky started, and that spells trouble for Apple’s Weather app.
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp Also.
