The team behind the once-popular weather app Dark Sky has returned with a new product designed to rethink how weather forecasts are delivered. After selling Dark Sky to Apple Inc. in 2020, the creators are now launching Acme Weather, a consumer-focused app that promises greater forecast transparency and improved reliability.
A Smarter Approach to Weather Forecasting
Acme Weather is built around a powerful in-house forecasting system that combines multiple numerical weather prediction models with satellite data, radar inputs, and ground station observations.
Unlike traditional weather apps that provide a single “best guess” forecast, Acme Weather displays alternate possible outcomes directly on its graphs. These appear as subtle gray lines alongside the primary forecast, giving users a clearer sense of uncertainty and potential weather variations.
According to co-founder Adam Grossman, one of the biggest frustrations with existing weather apps is the lack of transparency about forecast confidence. By showing multiple possible scenarios, users can better prepare for important events — especially during unpredictable conditions like winter storms.
For example, if half of the models predict snow and others suggest rain later in the day, users can immediately see that split instead of relying on a single projection.
Premium Consumer Model
Acme Weather is launching as a subscription-based iOS app priced at $25 per year, with a two-week free trial. The pricing helps offset the costs associated with aggregating multiple weather models and data sources.
The team has focused heavily on building its own forecasting infrastructure rather than depending on third-party map providers. This approach allows them to generate custom maps and offer more flexible visualizations.
At launch, the app includes:
- Radar maps
- Lightning tracking
- Rain and snow accumulation totals
- Wind speed and direction
- Temperature and humidity data
- Cloud cover analysis
- Hurricane tracking
Community Reports for Real-Time Accuracy
A notable feature called Community Reports enables users to submit real-time weather observations in their area. These crowdsourced updates help improve short-term forecast accuracy and provide hyperlocal insights.
This collaborative approach enhances situational awareness during fast-changing weather conditions.
Unique Alerts — Including Rainbows and Sunsets
While the original Dark Sky became famous for precise rain notifications, Acme Weather goes a step further by adding creative alert options.
In addition to standard alerts such as:
- Rain notifications
- Nearby lightning warnings
- Severe weather advisories
- Government-issued alerts
The app introduces experimental notifications in a dedicated “Acme Labs” section. These include:
- Rainbow predictions
- Alerts for potentially beautiful sunsets
Users can also customize notifications based on preferences such as UV index, wind speed, or the probability of rain within the next 24 hours.
Independent Innovation After Apple Acquisition
Following the acquisition of Dark Sky, the team contributed to Apple’s Weather services and developer tools. However, returning to an independent setup allows the founders to experiment more freely with new ideas and unconventional features.
The Acme Weather team includes co-founders Josh Reyes and Dan Abrutyn, along with both former Dark Sky members and new hires. The company is currently bootstrapped and focused on iterative innovation.
Availability
Acme Weather is currently available on iOS, with an Android version planned for future release.
With its emphasis on forecast transparency, multi-model analysis, and creative weather alerts, Acme Weather aims to redefine how users interact with daily forecasts — turning weather uncertainty into actionable insight.
