The Weather Channel Fills A Niche On The Apple Watch

Back in the day, we got our weather forecast from either the morning newspaper or catching a news program when it was broadcast on television.  The Weather Channel is the first place I remember being able to get a current weather forecast at any time of day, just by turning on the TV. When the iPhone and the App Store came on the scene, it was no surprise that The Weather Channel would be a trusted and popular app.

The Weather Channel does now have an Apple Watch app, though it’s not one of the most popular. I would argue that it still may be worth the space on your Apple Watch, because it fills a particular niche.

Let me start by telling you why I think it’s not as buzzed about as competitors like Carrot and Dark Sky. A good weather app on the Apple Watch is all about the complication. It’s really only worth having a weather app on your watch if it offers something the native Weather app doesn’t. I use the Modular face most of the time, and I devote the large center complication to weather. Both Dark Sky and Carrot offer interesting complications with more information than what the native app offers (current temperature, predicted high and low). However, The Weather Channel’s large center complication on the Modular face is a total waste of that precious screen real estate. It doesn’t even tell you the current temperature, much less the predicted high and low like most weather app complications, including the native one. Take a look:

This large center complication is a waste of precious space.

While The Weather Channel’s large complication is not worth its screen space, the small complication with the exact same information isn’t a waste at all. If you can spare two small complications instead of one large one, try adding The Weather Channel’s complication, a cute little umbrella with the chance of precipitation. This complication paired with the native Weather app’s current temperature complication give you a decent weather picture. When I’m in a minimalist non-Modular mood, this is what I do.

The small complication, in the lower left spot, has the same information as the large one.

In addition to filling that niche, it is of course a reliable weather app. You can access it on your watch or phone and get all of the weather information you expect. I probably wouldn’t recommend paying for this app, but for me, the small complication for chance of precipitation makes it a worthwhile addition to my weather app collection. The Weather Channel is free on the App Store.