- Dark Sky Founders Launched New Forecasting App, Acme Weather
- The new app displays alternative forecast readings to show what weather changes could occur during the day.
- A community reporting tool has also been added, as well as refined custom notification settings.
Remember the days of the Dark Sky weather app before Apple disbanded it? Well, its creators have returned with an alternative that recognizes that weather forecasts are usually very wrong.
The new weather forecasting platform, called Acme Weather, is now available for download on iOS devices, and plans are already in the works to bring it to Android. You can try it out with a two-week free trial, and then it requires a $25 annual subscription fee, which is much cheaper than Dark Sky’s $3.99 monthly charge.
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 is facing scrutiny for its inaccuracies) when Dark Sky was removed.
But the main selling point of Acme Weather is that it doesn’t just give you a forecast prediction; provides you with alternative weather results to show which direction your local forecast could take. Co-founder Adam Grossman goes into more detail in his blog post and shares the following information:
“It’s simple: Looking at the landscape of the countless weather apps out there, many of them charming, we felt dissatisfied. The more we talked to friends and family, the more we heard that many of them did too. And of course, we missed those days like a run-down little store.”
Using multiple data sources, including weather prediction models, satellite data and ground station observations, Acme Weather provides a “main” forecast reading, supported by additional forecast lines with alternative outcomes, showing possible climate changes (see below).
The black line indicates the main reading of Acme Weather’s forecast, while the faint gray lines highlight changes that could occur. When the alternative lines are clustered closer together, it indicates that the main forecast prediction is reliable, and when the alternative lines are more spread out, it shows that the weather is likely to change throughout the day. This way, you’ll have a better idea of what to expect and can plan ahead accordingly.
To improve forecast accuracy, Acme Weather has also developed a community reporting feature that allows users to submit local weather reports in the app. You can choose from a list of preselected weather conditions or even use emojis, and Acme will display them in the app for other users in your area to see.
As far as other weather apps go, I find that most of them haven’t 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 constantly check it and sometimes the widget on my home screen shows incorrect data. Acme Weather is doubling down on the notifications front, updating Dark Sky’s trusty notification system, but with a new twist.
Beyond community report notifications, timely rain warnings, and even government-issued severe forecast warnings, Acme Weather introduces a new custom notifications tool that allows you to configure your notifications based on your greatest interests and concerns.
As mentioned, Acme Weather is currently only available on iOS, so you’ll have to wait a little longer for its debut on Android. Although it’s early, Acme Weather already looks like a faithful continuation of what Dark Sky started, and it’s creating some problems for Apple’s Weather app.
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