Dark Sky Creators Launch Weather App With Multiple Forecasts

The creators of Dark Sky are back with a refreshingly honest approach to weather forecasting that admits what we all already know: predicting the weather is hard.

After selling Dark Sky to Apple in 2020, the original team has launched Acme Weather, an iOS app that shows not just one forecast but several possible scenarios for each day. When the alternate predictions cluster close together, you can trust the forecast. When they spread apart, expect conditions to change.

It's a simple visual solution to a problem every weather app faces but few acknowledge. Traditional apps show one confident prediction, even when conditions are uncertain. Acme Weather lets you see the confidence level at a glance.

The app pulls data from satellites, ground stations, and radar to generate its forecasts. It also includes community-reported conditions that appear as icons on a map during active weather events, letting users share real-time updates from their locations.

Dark Sky fans will recognize another returning feature: those excellent notifications that made the original app so popular. Acme Weather offers customizable alerts for minute-by-minute rain warnings, severe weather notices, nearby lightning, and even when rainbow conditions are right at your location.

Why This Inspires

Weather apps have long oversold their accuracy, leaving us frustrated when forecasts change without explanation. By showing multiple scenarios instead of false certainty, Acme Weather treats users like adults who can handle nuance.

The transparency builds trust in a way traditional forecasting never could. You're not left wondering if the app got it wrong when plans change. You can see from the morning that conditions are uncertain and plan accordingly.

The app is available now for iOS with a two-week free trial, followed by a $25 annual subscription. An Android version is planned but doesn't have a release date yet. While that's more expensive than Dark Sky's original $3.99 price, the team promises more weather data and better forecasts than their previous app delivered.

Sometimes progress means admitting what we don't know, then finding creative ways to work with that uncertainty instead of hiding it.