The core idea behind the new Acme Weather app is that no weather forecast is 100% reliable.
The new app doesn’t just present a single official forecast. Instead, it also displays alternate predictions, giving users a spectrum of possible outcomes.
Acme Weather comes from the team behind Dark Sky, a mobile weather app for iOS and Android that debuted in 2012. It built a cult following with features like hyperlocal rain alerts and a minute-by-minute graph predicting exactly how hard it would rain over the next hour.
The app became so popular that Apple acquired Dark Sky in 2020 for an undisclosed amount. Apple eventually killed the app in 2023, integrating some of its features into its own native Apple Weather app.
Now, Dark Sky co-founder Adam Grossman has explained in a blog post why the team left Apple and is trying once again to build a better weather app.
“It’s simple: when looking at the landscape of the countless weather apps out there, many of them lovely, we found ourselves feeling unsatisfied,” Grossman wrote. “The more we spoke to friends and family, the more we heard that many of them did too. And, of course, we missed those days as a small scrappy shop.”
This time around, Grossman and his team are embracing uncertainty. By displaying alternate predictions, the app allows users to gauge the accuracy of a forecast and better plan for different possible weather conditions throughout the day.
The app also leans into community reporting. Users can submit real-time conditions near them, which appear on a map with small icons showing rain, clouds, or even a poop emoji for particularly bad weather.
Beyond forecasts, Acme Weather includes radar, temperature, wind, and humidity maps.
The app is also bringing back several customizable notification options, including down-to-the-minute rain warnings, government severe weather alerts, and nearby lightning.
Grossman says the weather should be fun, too. The company is launching what it calls Acme Labs, a set of experimental weather tools. For now, the app is starting with rainbow alerts to help users spot nearby rainbows and a beautiful sunset feature that notifies users when a sunset will look extra “lovely.”
Acme Weather is now available on the iOS App Store, with an Android version planned. The app includes a two-week free trial before switching to a $25-per-year subscription.
With the subscription fee, Acme Weather promises it will never sell user information to third parties such as advertisers.
“It’s the weather app we’ve always wanted, and always wanted to build,” concluded Grossman.
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