June 10, 2021
Top iPad weather apps for Canada
After some digging, I discovered that iPad weather apps using Environment Canada data do indeed exist. They're just hard to find. The App Store search buries the good stuff under scammers and review-gamers. The one-star written reviews are your best warning — stay away from them.
You may have better luck using a search engine, although even these results are mostly more about making money from affiliate links or pushing you to download an ad-riddled app.
I found three of the apps in this list in the comment section of an article. Comments can also be cesspools of hawkers trying to sell their stuff, but there are still a few good people out there genuinely trying to be helpful.
In my mind, the best Canadian weather apps for iPad should have two things: accuracy and a nice layout. Accuracy means data from Environment Canada and a nice layout means, at the very least, no ads.
Here are the top five contenders:
1. Celsius: uses Environment Canada data
The first screen has a list of locations with the current weather plus the forecast high and low.
Tap and go to a second screen with details including hourly forecasts, seven-day forecasts, wind, humidity, dew point, visibility, pressure, sunrise and sunset. Radar is available but you have to find it on the Environment Canada website.
2. Météo: uses Environment Canada data
The list of locations and details are on the same page, making the layout more cramped than Celsius. It works better horizontally.
There are more details, though: hourly forecast, seven-day forecast, wind, AQHI, pressure, visibility, humidity, dew point, normal temperatures, yesterday's temperature, yesterday's precipitation, sunrise and sunset. Alerts, radar, satellite and lightning and available within the app.
3. WeatherCAN: uses Environment Canada data
This is the official Environment Canada app. It is an iPhone app that also works on iPad.
Locations are in a tap-down menu with details on the same page. Details include past 24-hour conditions, current conditions, sunrise, sunset, COVID-19 trends, hourly forecast, seven-day forecast, radar and weather-related messages such as news about World Environment Day, World Oceans Day or solar eclipses.
4. Atmosphérique: uses Environment Canada data
Locations are in a tap-down menu, with details on the same page in a layout that seems cluttered compared with the other apps. It only works vertically, and there is a banner ad at the bottom.
You can also find Atmosphérique Pro, which is end of life and refers you to Atmosphérique 4. I wasn't able to find it.
Details include seven-day forecast, hourly forecast, past 24 hours, radar, normal temperatures, sunrise, sunset, humidity, pressure, humidex, wind, visibility, dew point, yesterday's temperature and yesterday's precipitation, records and averages.
5. Weather Network: unknown source of data, but appears to be based in Canada
Locations are in a tap-down menu with details on the same page including two ads, one in the middle and one at the bottom.
Details include hourly forecast, 36-hour forecast, 14-day forecast, wind, humidity, pressure, visibility, ceiling, sunrise, sunset, yesterday's temperature, air quality and UV report (appear to be the same thing), pollen and radar.