How to Use the Dark Sky App

Dark Sky is an iOS app that provides accurate and detailed weather data, from temperature and precipitation to UV index and pressure. The app describes it’s forecasts as “hyperlocal;” whereas other weather providers might give you the forecast for your county or city, Dark Sky narrows data down to the street you’re on. It also includes a feature that allows users to report the weather themselves, adding to the weather data’s accuracy and making the app perfect for those with an interest in meteorology. If precision and interactive features are important to you, keep reading to learn how to use Dark Sky.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Downloading the Dark Sky App

1. Download Dark Sky from the iOS app store. Search and download Dark Sky. The app costs $3.99 and its icon is a blue water drop with a black lighting bolt going through it.
   
   • Dark Sky is only available on iOS, but some similar alternatives for Android users are The Weather Channel, AccuWeather, and Flowx. ^[1].
2. Allow the app to use your location. The first time you open the app, you’ll get a notification asking if it can use your location. Select “Allow” so that you can receive weather data for your exact location.
   

[Edit]Checking the Forecast

1. Check the day’s weather using the forecast tab. The homepage of Dark Sky is the forecast. When you open the app, the first thing you’ll see is the current temperature and the temperature it feels like.
   
2. Look at the hourly forecast. Scroll down to see a breakdown of the estimated temperature and cloudiness over the next 10 hours, sunrise and sunset times, and weather estimates for the next five days.
   
3. Find advanced information about the weather. At the bottom of the 10-hour forecast, you can also select to see other indicators like precipitation, wind speed, or UV index.
   
   • If it's raining or expected to rain, the homepage will also show you what time the rain will stop or start in your exact location.
   • If you want to check the weather somewhere other than your location, you can press the search icon in the top left corner of the homepage to type in a location manually.
4. Explore the map feature. If you want to investigate weather patterns in or around your location in a more visual format, press the Map icon at the bottom of your screen. Using a color scale, the map allows you to look at precipitation and temperature in any location, from as close as your own county to as far as the other side of the globe. ^[2]
   
   • The map feature is especially handy if you want to track a storm or heatwave

[Edit]Customizing Your Notifications

1. Customize your notifications. To choose which push notifications you want to receive from Dark Sky, press the Notifications icon to the right of the Map icon. You can turn on a variety of useful alerts, like an umbrella reminder when the chance of rain rises above 20 percent or a daily morning overview of the forecast.
   
2. Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Then, search Notifications, push Dark Sky, and make sure “Allow Notifications” is toggled on.
   
3. Add a custom notification. You can create your own notification by pressing “Add custom notification.” If you’re waiting for enough to build a snowman, for example, you can create a notification for when snow accumulation reaches 3 inches.
   

[Edit]Reporting the Weather

1. Report the weather yourself. A unique feature of Dark Sky is that it allows users to cross-check the forecasts and report their observations. Your feedback helps the app deliver even more accurate predictions for your location.
   
2. Click the Report icon. This icon is the furthest one to right, then select the weather illustration that matches the weather in your location most closely.
   
   • Below the illustrations, you can also specify further by indicating if you see lightning, fog, or hail.

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-dark-sky-alternatives-for-android/
2. ↑ https://maps.darksky.net/@temperature,41.935,-84.777,2