Tip #17. Compare weather forecasts in one click

Among 100+ Windy.app features, there are always one or two, or even three that you didn't know about, right? Even if you're a true weather and outdoor expert using the app. Meanwhile, these may be important features.

For example, you can compare weather forecasts from different sources (weather models) in one click with the special Compare Mode feature. You literally need to press one button. Why compare weather forecasts? Because they come from different models, they can differ very much from each other — one model shows one thing, another is completely different. Comparison helps you to see in a simple and convenient way on the graph which forecast to trust more. That's how you choose the most appropriate time with the right weather conditions to practice your favorite wind, water, or winter sport.

Here's exactly how you can do it:

1. Open your favorite or nearest spot from the Home screen of the app or from the Weather Map. In the latter case, enable the geolocation function in the app's Settings beforehand. Let’s take for example the kitesurfing spot Tarifa, Spain.

2. Under the Wind Rose you see a list of weather models — the sources of the forecast. By changing them, you can get different forecasts.

3. Let’s take the three major global weather models: GFS27 shows 3.3 m/s wind, which is low for this sport; ECMWF shows 5.9 m/s, which is the required minimum; and ICON13 shows 3.5 m/s. So two models out of three are almost the same, but the third is twice as much.

Weather forecast from GFS27 weather model for Tarifa, Spain, in the Windy.app for iOS

Weather forecast from ECMWF weather model for Tarifa, Spain, in the Windy.app for iOS

Weather forecast from ICON13 weather model for Tarifa, Spain, in the Windy.app for iOS

4. To see if you can trust this forecast, turn on the Compare Mode feature on the left side of the list of weather models. Now you can see the forecast from these three and other models used in the Windy.app on one graph. If the data are very different, as in the screenshot below, it is better not to trust this forecast and choose other time for doing kitesurfing.

Compare Mode of weather forecast for Tarifa, Spain, in the Windy.app for iOS

5. Move the slider ahead until the situation when all models show approximately the same values. You can trust this forecast more and with a high probability choose this day and time rather than the previous ones. But, it is important to consider other factors as well. For example, data from weather stations.

Compare Mode of weather forecast for Tarifa, Spain, in the Windy.app for iOS

6. Scroll the screen below to the corresponding section. Here you see how many times this or that weather model has coincided with real data from the station over the past 10 days. This is also an option for comparing weather forecasts in the app.

Forecast Accuracy Based on Weather Stations feature in the Windy.app for iOS

7. Go to the station by clicking on the Detailed analysis button. Now you see the data of the station on the Compare Mode graph. At the same time the station itself has turned into a spot, that is a point on the map for which you can also see the forecast from the models. The principle is the same: the closer the lines, the better, and vice versa.

Weather Forecast Accuracy Detailed Analysis feature in the Windy.app for iOS

Read more about comparing weather forecasts on the Windy.app blog or watch the video Weather Hacks: How to choose the best weather model on our YouTube channel.

Read all useful tips in the Windy.app blog. You can also find them all on the Tips page in the Support section of the website:

Text: Ivan Kuznetsov, an outdoor journalist, editor and writer from the Dolomites, Italy, and Karelia, Finland, with 10 years of professional experience. His favorite sports are hiking, cycling and sauna. Read his other articles

Cover photo: Mateusz Zatorski / Unsplash