Google is the king of information, but it, too, doesn’t always get everything right. With both the US and Canada gripped by a severe winter storm over the weekend (with the storm extending into Monday in some areas), those relying on the Pixel Weather app for their forecast-related needs were left out in the cold, no pun intended.
All of this comes after Google’s reported move to a more powerful and reliable ‘WeatherNext2‘ forecasting model.
Pixel Weather set to get a huge leap in predictions with WeatherNext2 update
Also coming to Google Maps, Search, and Gemini
According to several new Reddit posts, the Pixel Weather app’s forecasting algorithm failed to provide accurate precipitation data, promising a mere dusting, when in reality, what we witnessed was a full-blown whiteout.
Users reported the Pixel Weather app telling them that they’d only receive roughly 0.5 inches of snow, even when those users could just look out of their window and find the claim to be inaccurate. Ironically, the same app, while saying there will only be 0.5 inches of snow, also highlights a severe weather warning from the National Weather Service, alongside links to its website that suggests snowfall in the 7-11-inch range.
But that’s not all. The app has been hugely off when it comes to temperature estimates, all while its radar failed to show the storm closing in for several users.
“There’s an enormous snow line moving through my entire region of the country right now, hugely visible on radar on every other weather provider, but the Google map doesn’t show ANY radar activity within hundreds of miles,” wrote user angryhumping, while user BurlyShlurb wrote “I’m currently in Cranbrook, BC. Right now, my Pixel 10 is insistently telling me it’s -15°C. Meanwhile, the Environment Canada station down the street (and every other reliable source) has us at -7°C. That’s an 8-degree discrepancy.”
Snowy with a chance of inaccuracies
The issue isn’t exclusive to the Pixel Weather app, iPhone users have been reporting wild forecast inaccuracies too. What’s more surprising is that the app isn’t flat out inaccurate for all. For some users, it is working just fine.
But if the app is giving you accurate readings now, how do you trust it to continue doing so? Especially with it giving inaccurate data to so many others. For those quickly glancing at the Weather app before a morning commute, the inaccuracies can be costly.
This isn’t just an app glitch, it’s an issue that can have real-world consequences, especially during severe weather events.
If you’re a Pixel user, you might want to keep the NWS bookmarked until Google figures out how to fix its weather app.
5 weather apps that are way better than the one that comes on your phone
Say goodbye to basic weather forecasts
