After Apple ruined Dark Sky, its makers are back with a new weather app
The makers of the Dark Sky app have returned with Acme Weather. It promises a crowd-sourced approach to forecasting.
The Dark Sky weather app, with its ultra regional forecasts and rain-stopping predictions, was the best I’ve ever used – until Apple acquired it, integrated into Apple Weather app for iPhone and then shut it down.
At the time, the team behind the app joined Apple to ease the transition. Now they’re back on the scene hoping to fill the void left behind by the standalone Dark Sky app.
The new iPhone app (which will come to Android eventually) is called Acme Weather. The major unique selling point is the “alternate predictions”. They aim to solve the problem of unreliable weather forecasts that arise because most apps tend to go with one weather model. Other models might suggest a different time of day for, say, the rain starting or stopping.
“You can’t plan your day if you don’t know how much you can trust the forecast, or know what other possibilities might arise,” the founders write in a blog post. “Rather than pretending we will always be right, Acme Weather embraces the idea that our forecast will sometimes be wrong.
“Our homegrown forecasts are produced using many different data sources, including numerical weather prediction models, satellite data, ground station observations, and radar data. Most of the time, our forecast will be a reliable source of information (it’s better than the one we had at Dark Sky). But, crucially, we supplement the main forecast with a spread of alternate predictions. These are additional forecast lines that capture a range of alternate outcomes.”
The display of alternate predictions enable users to make informed decisions. If the other forecasts are closely aligned with the primary model, the forecast can be considered more reliable. If there’s a greater variance shown, rain dodgers can plan accordingly.
I like this. I live in Florida and the difference between the summer deluge occurring at 4pm or 4:30pm is the difference between a leisurely bike ride home from the coffeeshop or one fraught with danger and an absolute soaking to boot. I’m also used to this kind of forecasting based on multiple models as we have to watch out for hurricanes for six months of the year. Those differing models offer all the possibilities, so you’re aware whether it’s wise to flee for the north of the state, or stay put and hunker down.
The app will also integrate community reports for short notice decision making. Kinda like the navigation app Wyze, users will be encouraged to report weather events in real time. “Current conditions often evolve quickly during storms, radar is imperfect and can fail to detect precipitation during light rain, snow versus freezing rain can be volatile, etc.,” the founders said.
There are also helpful notifications and the radar maps we loved so much from Dark Sky. The app’s available on iPhone now and it’s coming to Android now. You’ll get a two-week trial, but it costs $25 to subscribe for the year. It’s not yet available in the UK.
Chris Smith
