If you use the official Weather app for Windows, you may have noticed that it is quite hungry when it comes to memory. The app uses between 500 and 600 megabytes right when you open it.
This goes down a bit when it is in the background and up again when you use it actively. Some features, like the weather radar, may shot up RAM usage to 1 gigabyte or more.
Still, even at idle, using hundreds of megabytes of RAM suggests that the app is anything but optimized.
Windows users who want a weather app but prefer one that does not use as much RAM, may want to look at third-party solutions that offer just that and often much more.
Here are a few suggestions:
- Fluent Weather: uses less than 60 megabytes, is open source, has no ads or tracking, lacks some of the advanced features, such as the weather radar or adding locations to the favorites.
- Skyline Weather: open source Windows store app, supports multiple locations, uses about 50 megabytes.
- TrayWeather: open source app, displays weather information in the system tray, less than 30 megabytes of RAM usage.
- WeatherWidget: another standalone open source app that displays weather information for up to five locations. Less than 30 megabytes of RAM usage.
While all lack some of the advanced features of the native Windows app, all use a fraction of the RAM of the official app.
These ancient thermometers in the picture would command at least a few hundred bucks each. Makes me nostalgic for the times when I believed that Pawn Stars, Roadshow on PBS, and other shows like that were real and not entirely scripted.
I have a circular thermometer with Huck Finn fishing; make an offer!
Yes, the 400 MG of RAM the program itself uses is as absurd as the 105 degree plus heatwave we are enduring in the desert southwest. MS climate change.
Why even use an app? If nothing else, type in “weather” and the forecast is there.
Any good Android weather widgets: all the ones I tried were plagued with adware–as much of a nuisance as prickly pear cactus!
Depending on your world location and your set computer options, I find msn.com and clicking Weather is a great compromise of resources and function.
Windows 11 has a weather app?
@Violet I have the Moto G 2025 and the stock clock wigdet with the battery circle has the current temp. I tap that a weather app opens that doesn’t have any ads “at the moment”.
Motorola changes the app from time to time during system updates but currently it’s ad free.
The home wifi routes through a pi-hole but the phones mobile data is still on. Not sure if that makes a difference.
Microsoft 2026 or an advertisement business supported by crappy applications.
Weather conditions are available everywhere. For in-depth, among many others:
[https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/]
[https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/]
Just a click and you’ve got it all. 500 and 600 megabytes for less information and ads: if companies could be compared to human beings, Microsoft would have a serious mental problem.
Here in the southern U.S. It either hot, rainin’ or hot, humid and/or rainin’. Just need to go outside and touch grass to find out! Martin? You been trespassing in my barn? Goes outside to see if the old thermometer is still up on the inside door.
I turned off the weather and the news feed app on my main and gaming machines. No need to really have them but did not think they used that much ram. They will be staying off for sure!
i use these minimal weather sites:
https://brolly.sh/
https://noadsweather.com/
https://wttr.in/