Top 5 weather forecast websites (2023)

Whether you're traveling around town or planning a long-distance trip, you probably want to know what the weather will be like when you arrive at your destination or at the end of the day. A good, reliable weather website or service can provide useful and accurate information, and this week we look at five of the best ones based on their nominations.

Earlier this week, we asked you to tell uswhich weather forecast websites did you think were the best. You made countless suggestions, many local to your region, others with comprehensive global and international predictions. However, we only have room for the top 5, and here they are, in no particular order:

National Weather Service/NOAA

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Many of you have found that looking for a good, reliable weather service, you turned to the professionals - the National Weather Service, a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). As many of the other weather sites get their data from the NWS, some of you asked why not go straight to the source? Why not get your information from the people who get it from weather stations around the world, orbiting satellites, and other public and commercial resources? After all, they are the same people.responsible for weather alerts and warningsbe alert.

However, the NWS is more than just a data clearinghouse - it's also a great destination for county-by-county weather across the United States. Enter your city and state, or just your zip code, and you'll get a detailed forecast of where you are or where you're going. Current conditions, future forecasts, long term forecasts, historical highs and lows, precipitation probabilities, radar and satellite maps and much more are just a click away.

Those of you who nominated the NWS and NOAA pointed out that NOAA hired more than half of meteorology graduates, so there's a good case for going to the source. Also, many of you have pointed out that one of the best things about the NWS website is that it's free, ad-free, light and fast loading, and of course, accurate. Many of you even pointed to the in-depth analysis of weather patterns, weather conditions and much more around the world as excellent background and further reading for those interested. you can read morein your nomination thread here.

The time below ground

Weather Underground has a semi-troubled history, but it has always been a favorite among weather fans, meteorologists, storm chasers, and everyday people who just want a reliable source for the weather. (Not related toTo dieOthersThe time below groundin name only, as both projects have their roots in the University of Michigan weather database, and the weather database began.) The service was independent for many years before being purchased by The Weather Channel in 2012. The site still operates independently, however, with forecasts and weather data collected from the personal weather stations of over 100,000 members located in homes, schools, and other locations across the country. Weather enthusiasts still regularly blog about local, regional and global weather and weather-related topics, largely supported by their own community of enthusiasts.

The site itself has been redesigned a few times, but it still provides plenty of weather information right at the start, with events, interesting blog posts, and other member contributions further down the page. Weather Underground is also still home to the much loved (and highly featured in the Call for Contenders thread)miraculous map, which is a highly customizable and informative full-screen weather map. Turn layers on and off along with additional location detail - and when we say location, we mean itvery local- to find out what's happening in your community or what the conditions and forecasts are across the country.

Those of you who nominated Weather Underground especially praised the maps, full-screen weather maps (like Wundermap) and the fact that members (for a small fee) have access to tons of raw data and other information that goes way beyond do raw go out Get your local or regional forecast for the next few days. If you want to make your own models, are a meteorologist, or just like to think about the weather, this is definitely the service for you. Many of you pointed out that it is also one of the most accurate and reliable services as its data is not only based on models and forecasts but actually comes from actively updated real-time weather data from stations across the map. keep readingin your nomination thread here.

Prognose.io

Forecast.io is a relative newcomer to the weather game,Start 2013 with a minimalist, animated weather report for your locationthat keeps the important details front and center. Temperature, location, current conditions and a forecast for the next hour, 24 hours and 7 days in a nutshell, right where you can see it – above the fold. Scroll down for more details on these forecasts, including long-term data, forecast lines (so you can see general trends), and additional extras like radar data and high-resolution weather maps. Forecast.io isn't exactly for weather enthusiasts - it's not packed with detailed information that would be of interest to meteorologists, pilots and other storm chasers, but it's exceptional for people looking for a sober forecast with enough data to be useful without so much that things get messy.

Those of you who have referred Forecast.io have found that their forecasts - especially for the next 48 hours - are minimal and focused on the information that really matters to you. Many of you praised the open API, others found that it translates fantastically on mobile devices and looks just as good on smartphone and tablet screens as it does in your browser. Some of you have mentioned that one of the reasons they are so accurate is that their predictions are actually a calculated aggregation of other available prediction data. you can read morein your nomination thread here.

the damn time

The Fucking Weather, as the name suggests, tells you what the weather is like. And that. Whether it's hot, cold or whatever - no maps, no models, no radar, no detailed forecasts, none of that crap - just the damn weather, whether it's hot or cold, current conditions and that's all. Scroll down a bit and you'll get the "damn forecast", which gives high and low temperatures for the next four days (provided, hilariously, by Weather Underground). Just put in your location, get the weather, and that's really the only thing. The options on the site were "I want fucking Celsius" and "Remember my fucking weather forecast" which tells the site your location so next time when you come back you get the same accurate weather report without frills. Make no mistake, it's hilarious, but it's also useful, especially if you just want to know what the damn weather is like, and it's one of them.our favorite websites that tell you what the hell to do.

Those of you who nominated The Fucking Weather - and yes, there was more than enough to warrant the site a spot in the top five - praised it for being simple, to the point, and no site for people who love the weather or weather or enjoy studying maps and data is definitely a site for someone who just wants to know if they should take their umbrella to go home tonight, or if it's worth putting on that extra layer. keep readingin your nomination thread here.

WeatherSpark

Weatherspark prides itself on its detailed weather charts, tables, and other data, all available in a single view. Wind speed, precipitation, mean and average temperatures, temperature graphs over the course of a day - or for days or weeks or even yearly trends and much more - all make it a great site for weather and weather geeks who want the ultimate as much data as possible on your finger tips. It's also incredibly accurate for anyone who wants to know exactly what the temperature will be when they leave work tomorrow and what the chances are of it raining at that time - or what the weather will be like at their destination, when they get off the plane for example. Just plug in your location and you'll get a nice, time-accurate data-driven dashboard, complete with a percentile accuracy to let you know how confident you can be in what you're seeing. From there you can see more detailed hourly, daily or weekly forecasts or just spend some time scrolling across the map or charts to see how conditions are changing, have changed or will change.

Those of you who nominated WeatherSpark pointed out that it is one of the sharpest presentations of a vast array of weather data. In short, there is a wealth of information behind these graphs and charts, all presented in a useful and easily searchable way. Some of you have noticed that there have been some changes to your weather data sources, but others have said that they've stuck with the site and preferred the way it handles available weather data over others - and that they like the way it's all packaged. keep readingin your nomination thread here.

Now that you've seen the top 5, it's time to put them through an extensive poll to determine the community favourite:

acknowledgments

This week's honorable mention goes toIntelcast, which many of you have praised for its live maps, great predictions and predictions, storm tracking, and directional tools that are especially helpful for people living in areas prone to tornadoes or hurricanes. It pulls in data from the Weather Underground if you want to dig in and get dirty with specific weather information, and it has tons of live update maps and charts for you to check out. keep readingin your nomination thread here.

We should also mention, as you did, that many of you simply resort toGooglefor the weather, especially since it is readily available. For most people, it's on their phone's home screen or just a tap away in the Google search bar on their device, and on the web, a complete forecast for your hometown is as easy as typing "weather" into Google search. . Of course, Google's weather forecasts are provided by Weather.com, which didn't get enough support to make it into the top 5 on its own. You can readyour nomination thread here.

Do you have something to say about any of the contenders? Want to promote your favorite even if it's not on the list? Remember that the top 5 are based onYour favorite nominations at the start of this week's Call for Contenders thread. Don't just complain about the top 5, let us know your preferred alternative - and defend it - in the discussions below.

The Hive Five is based on reader referrals. As with most Hive Five entries, if your favorite was left out, it didn't receive the required nominations in the call for proposals to make the top 5. We understand it's a popularity contest. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email todicas+hivefive@lifehacker.com!