# Anything better than Weatherbug? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 29, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-better-than-weatherbug/491219 "2009-03-29T21:59:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-better-than-weatherbug/491219/1 "2009-03-29T21:59:34Z")
All I want is something that sits quietly in my task tray and tells me the current temp. Weatherbug does this but I can’t seem to get it to stop popping up with updates and alerts every 15 minutes. Anyone know of a better piece of software? ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-better-than-weatherbug/491219/2 "2009-03-29T22:02:51Z")
I use a Yahoo desktop widget run by [Weather.com](http://Weather.com) that can also show bare-bones forecasts for the next five days (or not, my choice). ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-better-than-weatherbug/491219/3 "2009-03-29T22:08:53Z")
I use [accuweather.com](http://accuweather.com). It sits quietly with the current temp/cloud cover, the next two days’ temp/cloud cover, and alerts only happen when severe weather is in the forecast. It’s very unobtrusive. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-better-than-weatherbug/491219/4 "2009-03-30T00:26:09Z")
I use the 1-click Weather plugin for Firefox. It IS sort of obtrusive if you leave it with the default configuration (most annoying thing is popup weather maps if you mouse over the bottom of your browser, but I turn those off)…but my configuration just has the Now weather (icon & temp), tonight’s weather (icon & temp) and the weather for the next 2 days. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-better-than-weatherbug/491219/5 "2009-03-30T00:39:01Z")
I was told Weatherbug is spyware. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-better-than-weatherbug/491219/6 "2009-03-30T00:45:36Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > I was told Weatherbug is spyware. > **[WeatherBug Is Not Spyware](https://www.pcmag.com/archive/weatherbug-is-not-spyware-162874)** > > If our climate is changing, shouldn't our attitudes about weather utilities change too? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-better-than-weatherbug/491219/7 "2009-03-30T02:02:28Z")
> **[Ripoff Report | WeatherBug Review - Internet, Internet](https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/weatherbug/internet/weatherbug-ripoff-has-spyware-built-in-even-though-the-website-says-no-spyware-internet-102046)** > > Ripoff Report on: WeatherBug - Weatherbug ripoff has spyware built in even though the website says no internet Opinions vary. ---
**Author:** ![dada2fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dada2fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dada2fish)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-better-than-weatherbug/491219/8 "2009-03-30T04:19:51Z")
You can change your preference on Weatherbug to have it silence all alerts. I have mine only alert me in case of tornado warnings or other serious weather forecasts. It stays quietly in the background 99 percent of the time. Just go to Preferences, then Weather Alerts Manager, then at the bottom go to Alert Silence Time and check the 24 hour box. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-better-than-weatherbug/491219/9 "2009-03-30T08:52:29Z")
I usually open the window. If I am particularily daring on a given day, I will step out onto the balcony. These results are usually only valid in my local area. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-better-than-weatherbug/491219/10 "2009-03-30T15:01:18Z")
The weather program built into Windows 7 is great. It doesn’t make any noise, it just sits in the corner of the desktop and just lists the current temperature with a graphic (sun, rain, fog, snow, etc) and the next 3 day forecast. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-better-than-weatherbug/491219/11 "2009-03-31T04:05:37Z")
If you have FireFox then ForecastFox is the best there is in this line.