Weather apps are pretty good, but they can always be better, especially if you’re someone that often commutes on foot or uses public transit. There’s nothing worse than getting caught off guard by some bad weather, which is why Google is upgrading its tools in order to provide better weather data for its popular apps and services.
According to Google, WeatherNext 2 is the brand’s “most advanced and efficient forecasting model (via 9to5Google).” It can “generate forecasts 8x faster and with resolution up to 1-hour. This breakthrough is enabled by a new model that can provide hundreds of possible scenarios.” And the best part is that this new tech is going to be available in Google Maps, Gemini, Pixel Weather, and Search.
Just in time for winter
Now, it’s important to detail how these are just predictions, so there’s always the chance that what you’re seeing on screen isn’t exactly a reflection of what’s happening. However, Google does share that WeatherNext 2 does surpass its previous model on most variables. And what makes this new model different is that Google trains it on the specifics, like humidity, temperature, locations, and more.
From this data, it builds out the bigger picture, with the model filling in the blanks, or “interconnected systems” in order to create better forecasts. Naturally, this is just the beginning, and Google hopes that it will take this technology even further, by expanding access while also adding more data to the model. The good news is that you’ll see this tech pop up in your favorite apps from Google.
So, it’s something to keep an eye out for, especially if you’re someone that’s keen on the weather. We’ve seen the Pixel Weather app get some pretty useful updates over the past year. It now has a much cleaner UI, and we can only wait to find out what else Google might have in store. Of course, Pixel Weather isn’t going to be for everyone, especially if you don’t own a Pixel device.
But, we do have some other weather apps that we like that we recommend you give a try. And as stated before, WeatherNext 2 will be used in other Google apps too, like Maps, Search, and Gemini. So these are also areas where you should keep an eye out.
