Weather Data
OSS Weather provides comprehensive weather data from multiple sources.
Current Weather Conditions
The app displays detailed current weather information including:
Temperature Metrics
- Current Temperature - The actual air temperature
- Feels Like - How the temperature actually feels (accounting for wind chill and humidity)
- Dew Point - The temperature at which air becomes saturated with moisture
Precipitation
- Precipitation Probability - Chance of rain/snow in percentage
- Precipitation Amount - Expected rainfall/snowfall amount
- Precipitation Type - Rain, snow, sleet, or mixed
Wind Data
- Wind Speed - Current wind speed in your preferred units
- Wind Gusts - Maximum expected wind speed
- Wind Direction - Direction from which wind is blowing (with compass bearing)
Atmospheric Conditions
- Humidity - Relative humidity percentage
- Pressure - Atmospheric pressure with trend indicator (rising, falling, steady)
- Cloud Cover - Percentage of sky covered by clouds
- Visibility - How far you can see
Sun & UV
- UV Index - Sun exposure level with health recommendations
- Sunrise/Sunset - Times for sunrise and sunset
- Day Length - Total daylight hours
Hourly Forecast
Detailed hourly forecasts for the next 48 hours:
Available Data Points
For each hour, you get:
- Temperature and feels-like temperature
- Precipitation probability and amount
- Wind speed and direction
- Cloud cover percentage
- Humidity
- Pressure
- UV index
Visualization
- Interactive Charts - Line graphs for temperature, bar charts for precipitation
- Timeline - Scroll through hours to see changes
- Tap for Details - Tap any hour for complete information
Daily Forecast
Extended forecasts for 7-14 days (depending on provider):
Daily Summary
- High/Low Temperatures - Daily temperature range
- Weather Condition - Overall condition (sunny, cloudy, rainy, etc.)
- Precipitation Probability - Chance of precipitation
- Weather Icon - Visual representation of conditions
Detailed Daily Data
Tap on any day to see:
- Hour-by-hour breakdown
- Temperature curve throughout the day
- Precipitation timing
- Wind patterns
- Sunrise/sunset times
Weather Providers
OpenWeather
Coverage: Global
Data Quality: Excellent
Features:
- Comprehensive current conditions
- 48-hour hourly forecast
- 8-day daily forecast
- Historical data
- Weather alerts
- Detailed precipitation data
Requirements: API key (free tier available)
Best For: General use worldwide
Open-Meteo
Coverage: Global (European-focused)
Data Quality: Very Good
Features:
- High-resolution forecasts
- 16-day forecasts
- Hourly data
- Multiple weather models
- No API key required
- No rate limits
Requirements: None
Best For: Free usage, European locations
AccuWeather
Coverage: Global
Data Quality: Excellent
Features:
- Minute-by-minute precipitation (MinuteCast)
- 15-day forecasts
- Detailed severe weather alerts
- Lifestyle indices
- Radar data
Requirements: API key (limited free tier)
Best For: Detailed forecasts, precipitation timing
Meteo France
Coverage: France and French territories primarily
Data Quality: Excellent
Features:
- High-quality European data
- Detailed precipitation forecasts
- Weather warnings
- Marine forecasts
- Mountain weather
Requirements: None
Best For: French territories, some European areas
Comparing Providers
Different providers may show different forecasts due to:
- Different Weather Models - Each provider uses their own prediction algorithms
- Update Frequency - Some update more frequently than others
- Data Sources - Different ground station networks and satellite data
- Regional Optimization - Some providers are better for specific regions
Tips for Best Results
- Compare Providers - Check multiple sources for important weather decisions
- Regional Providers - Use Meteo France for France, etc.
- Free Options - Open-Meteo is excellent and has no limits
- Update Frequency - Set reasonable update intervals (1 hour is usually fine)
Weather Accuracy
Weather forecasts become less accurate further into the future:
- Current conditions: Very accurate
- Next 24 hours: Highly accurate
- 2-3 days: Good accuracy
- 4-7 days: Moderate accuracy
- 8+ days: General trends only
Data Updates
Automatic Updates
- Configurable update interval (15 min to 3 hours)
- Background updates for widgets (optional)
- Location-based updates
Manual Updates
- Pull to refresh on main screen
- Uses API calls (counts toward limits)
Caching
- Weather data is cached locally
- Reduces API calls
- Provides offline access to last-fetched data
Weather Alerts
When available from providers:
- Severe Weather Warnings - Storms, hurricanes, etc.
- Temperature Extremes - Heat waves, cold snaps
- Precipitation Alerts - Heavy rain, snow
- Wind Warnings - High winds, gales
- Other Hazards - Fog, ice, etc.
Weather alerts from providers are shown prominently on the main screen.
Historical Data
Some providers (OpenWeather with paid plan) offer historical weather data:
- Past weather conditions
- Historical averages
- Trends and comparisons
Data Privacy
Your weather data is private:
- Location data only sent to weather provider APIs
- No data collection by OSS Weather
- No tracking or analytics (optional crash reporting)
- Data cached locally on your device
API Rate Limits
Be aware of provider limits:
| Provider | Free Tier Limit |
|---|---|
| OpenWeather | 1,000 calls/day |
| Open-Meteo | No limit (fair use) |
| AccuWeather | 50 calls/day |
| Meteo France | No limit |
Tip: Use Open-Meteo as default to avoid rate limits.
Troubleshooting
Data Not Loading
- Check internet connection
- Verify API key (if required)
- Check provider status
- Try different provider
Inaccurate Data
- Compare with other providers
- Check location accuracy
- Verify units are set correctly
Old Data Showing
- Pull to refresh
- Check last update time
- Verify background updates enabled