# What is the best desktop Weather program? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 12, 2006, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-desktop-weather-program/352355 "2006-04-12T12:57:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-desktop-weather-program/352355/1 "2006-04-12T12:57:02Z")
It’s a simple question with a few parameters… I do not want the cookie monster crazed sites that ask you what type of allergy medicines you take or if you like gardening more than cooking. I’m looking for a straight-up weather site that will be accurate and will sit nicely nestled in my taskbar so I can see it at all times, and have it warn me if “The Big One” is on the way. Thats all I wish… Any Ideas? I like Weatherbug but I hear it is a cookie machine, that pops up all over the place when starting the computer. Oh did I mention I’d like it to be free? Any Ideas? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-desktop-weather-program/352355/2 "2006-04-12T17:05:19Z")
The Weather Channel has a widget that they say has no spyware, but probably has some ads: [http://www.weather.com/services/desktop.html](http://www.weather.com/services/desktop.html) They also have an ad-free version that you have to pay for. ---
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-desktop-weather-program/352355/3 "2006-04-12T17:28:02Z")
My favorite is a FireFox extension, ForecastFox Enhanced… Sits in the statusbar and shows current info, forecast info, pops up with current weather changes, and a great radar available just by parking your mouse over the icon… ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-desktop-weather-program/352355/4 "2006-04-12T17:50:16Z")
Another vote for Forecastfox: it’s highly customizeable and doesn’t clutter my desktop. If Firefox ain’t your thang, I recommend getting the [Yahoo Widget Engine](http://widgets.yahoo.com/) and using their desktop weather widget. I keep my home computer on all of the time, and I use it there as quick way to check the current temp without having to start the browser. ([Google Desktop](http://desktop.google.com/) is similar to Yahoo’s widgets, and they have a weather thingie, but I haven’t tried it.) ---
**Author:** ![MissMossie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@MissMossie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissMossie)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-desktop-weather-program/352355/5 "2006-04-12T18:40:50Z")
I have the one from the weather channel. I like it. There are ads, but they’re pretty unobtrusive. It has tabbed browsing with a tab for today’s weather (current temp, high, low, humidity, etc), twelve hour forcast, severe weather info, and different maps. It also tells you the pressure and wind speed/direction. When it’s minimized, it’s a little blue box near your clock that tells the temperature. My only negative with it is that it blinks red when there is a severe weather warning. The blinking goes away when you click on it though, but it still bothers me. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-desktop-weather-program/352355/6 "2006-04-12T18:41:36Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > I like Weatherbug but I hear it is a cookie machine, that pops up all over the place when starting the computer. That was the really early versions of Weatherbug that came bundled with [Gator](http://www.cexx.org/gator.htm). Newer versions aren’t much of a problem except the one I had had a conflict of some sort so its embedded ads wouldn’t load properly and caused problems. I ended up uninstalling the thing and I _still_ get the occasional spam from them! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-desktop-weather-program/352355/7 "2006-04-12T18:44:55Z")
I have had no problems with the latest version of Weatherbug. ---
**Author:** ![Eggerhaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@Eggerhaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eggerhaus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-desktop-weather-program/352355/8 "2006-04-12T19:18:15Z")
…I like Weather Watcher: > **[Weather Watcher Live](https://download.cnet.com/Weather-Watcher-Live/3000-18555_4-10049378.html)** > > Download Weather Watcher Live for Windows to keep track of your local weather in real time. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-desktop-weather-program/352355/9 "2006-04-12T19:43:38Z")
> [@Lips\_Obsession](#): > > My favorite is a FireFox extension, ForecastFox Enhanced… Sits in the statusbar and shows current info, forecast info, pops up with current weather changes, and a great radar available just by parking your mouse over the icon… I love this message board sometimes. Very cool extension. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-desktop-weather-program/352355/10 "2006-04-12T21:03:23Z")
I have the weather channel one. I like glancing down at the taskbar and knowing exactly what the temp is. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-desktop-weather-program/352355/11 "2006-04-12T23:17:41Z")
I am not a big fan of yahoo but I love their weather widget. It is the most attractive one I have seen and although it sits on the desktop, it just floats under everything and looks pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-desktop-weather-program/352355/12 "2006-04-12T23:55:06Z")
for Macs, [WeatherPop](http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/14483) ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-desktop-weather-program/352355/13 "2006-04-13T01:31:52Z")
> [@Eggerhaus](#): > > …I like Weather Watcher: > [Weather Watcher Live - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download](http://www.download.com/Weather-Watcher/3000-2381_4-10049378.html) Seconded.