GoKawiilAndy Walker / Android Authority
There are so many Android weather apps available that it’s easy to become overwhelmed and stick with the default option on your phone. I get it. Pixel Weather is installed, so why not stick with it? However, this isn’t always the best choice, especially if you’re among the many users complaining online about inaccurate forecasts.
Believe it or not, just because an app is preinstalled or looks appealing doesn’t mean it will provide reliable data. One crucial capability that many users overlook when selecting their preferred weather app is the option to choose a weather data source. It seems a mundane feature, but it’s the key to maximizing the accuracy of your forecasts.
Does your weather app provide accurate and reliable forecasts? 18 votes Yes, all the time! 6 % Mostly; it rarely gets things wrong. 44 % Sometimes, but it often gets things wrong. 28 % No, it's almost always inaccurate. 17 % I don't really care about forecast accuracy. 6 %
The better the data, the better the forecasts
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
While an easy-to-use, legible interface, attractive design, and specialized features like radar or local alerts all contribute to improving the weather app experience, it’s the weather data source that provides the information you see within the app. The source is integral to the accuracy of the weather forecasts we receive; it’s the backbone of the weather app itself.
These sources come in all shapes and sizes, scopes, and specializations. Some are broad and provide global coverage, such as the GFS and ECMWF models, while others are provided by national weather services, such as SAWS in South Africa. Others are proprietary and may utilize data from multiple models blended together, like Visual Crossing. Some are free to use and open source, like Open-Meteo. Other services, like Weather Underground, can even pull data from individuals’ weather stations, giving hyperlocal data a leg up.
Since the source is integral to the accuracy of the weather forecasts we receive, it becomes the backbone of the weather app itself.
Although all these sources technically observe the same sky, they may have vastly different current readings and forecasts based on how they acquire and process their weather data. Ultimately, this means that if a weather app doesn’t provide you with the option to select a data source, you’re stuck with the data it provides — whether you feel that it’s accurate or not.
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