The Weather app adds more detailed data in iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma

Apple’s Weather app is packing more data than ever on iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma. The thing about weather is that beyond the basics, everyone cares about different things, and some people care about all of them. With the latest version of Apple’s Weather app, there’s more weather to learn about than ever before.

The weather app includes hourly precipitation forecasts in a 10-day forecast detail view. Is there really a 45% chance of rain in Nashville a week starting Monday? Probably not, but if that kind of accuracy is what you’re looking for in a weather app, Weather has it.

Wind map overlays have been added to the weather as well. The overlay looks excellent and is animated to show you which direction the wind will blow over the next 24 hours. It’s a great addition if you’re going out to fly a kite or drone, sail a boat, and more.

Historical trends have been added to the weather as well. Clicking on the Averages box will show how high or low today’s average temperature is. This data is accompanied by a graph of the day compared to the historical range as well as a monthly graph of average high and low temperatures. When you click on the 10-day weather forecast, you can also scroll back a day to compare today’s forecast weather with yesterday’s actual conditions.

Site names are also more specific. I found an entrance to Duke University. There is a separate entrance for Durham, the city in which the school is located. Duke was expected to be warmer and colder today than Durham, but as I write this, they’re the same temperature, which is good to know, I guess.

If you’re a Moon sign, you’re in luck because it’s getting more attention in the weather this year. Tap Weather’s moon panel to see its brightness, the time of moonrise and sunset, the days remaining until the next full moon, and its distance from Earth. There’s also a dial-like widget that lets you move forward and backward through the calendar, which is connected to an animated moon graphic that updates as you scroll the dial. In addition, there is a calendar for each month that shows the moon phase and includes the date of the new moon and full moon for that month.

Finally, Apple says it has improved its use of the correct standard units for different geographic regions, and the visual effects you see behind the weather data have been enhanced. Looking at today’s weather and then looking out the window, I have to say they look pretty close.

Although I personally think a lot of the data in Weather is exaggerated, I also realize that what may seem unnecessary to me is not so to everyone. So, as much as it’s easy to make fun of the weather app, I appreciate that it’s become more than just a list of current conditions and a short-term forecast. Plus, if you just enjoy reading about weather conditions, there’s a lot to learn from the weather app as well.