Dark Sky Creators Launch New App With Multiple Forecasts
▼ Summary
– The creators of the popular Dark Sky app, which was sold to Apple, have left to launch a new iOS app called Acme Weather.
– Acme Weather provides a main forecast alongside several alternate predictions, with their proximity indicating the forecast’s reliability.
– The app is free to try for two weeks but requires a $25 annual subscription, promising better forecasts than Dark Sky using multiple data sources.
– It features community-reported conditions and various interactive maps (like radar and storm tracks) relevant to the predicted weather.
– Acme Weather carries forward Dark Sky’s notification strengths, offering customizable alerts for rain, severe weather, lightning, and even rainbow sightings.
The team behind the acclaimed Dark Sky weather app has launched a new forecasting tool called Acme Weather, designed to address the inherent uncertainty in weather prediction. Following Apple’s acquisition of Dark Sky in 2020, its original developers have now introduced an iOS app that presents a primary forecast alongside multiple alternate predictions, giving users a clearer picture of potential weather outcomes. This unique approach helps people better understand the reliability of a forecast based on how closely the various predictions align.
You can download Acme Weather for a two-week free trial, after which a $25 annual subscription is required for continued access. While the beloved Dark Sky app was sold for a one-time fee of $3.99, the creators assert that Acme Weather delivers superior forecasts and more comprehensive data. The app synthesizes information from satellite data, ground station observations, and radar data to build its models. An Android version is in development, though a specific launch date has not been announced.
The app’s interface displays the main forecast for the day next to several alternate prediction lines charting possible changes in conditions. The closer these lines are grouped together, the higher the confidence in the primary forecast’s accuracy. Conversely, a wider spread between the lines signals greater uncertainty, indicating that the weather is more likely to shift as the day progresses. This visual system provides immediate, intuitive insight into forecast reliability.
Beyond its predictive models, Acme Weather incorporates robust community and mapping features. Users can submit real-time reports on local conditions, which appear as icons on an interactive map. This crowd-sourced data is supplemented by a suite of professional weather maps. These include layers for radar, lightning strikes, precipitation totals, wind, temperature, humidity, storm tracks, and cloud cover. The app intelligently surfaces the most relevant maps based on the forecasted conditions for your area.
Notably, Acme Weather carries forward the exceptional notification system that made Dark Sky famous. The new app offers fully customizable alerts. Users can opt to receive down-to-the-minute rain warnings, government-issued severe weather alerts, notifications for nearby lightning activity, and even unique alerts that notify you when conditions are right to spot a rainbow at your location.
(Source: The Verge)
