Weather apps can be some of the most interesting apps on the iPhone. That may seem strange for me to say because they all do the same thing — show the current weather and the forecast for the next few days — often using the same sources. But as a result, a main differentiator between the apps is the interface created by the developer. A weather app is a good opportunity for a developer to show information in an interesting way. In the latest version of my favorite weather app — Carrot Weather (I reviewed the prior version in 2018) — the developer created building blocks so that you can customize the interface that works best for you, a great approach that earned the developer an Apple Design Award last month. But there is still room for other approaches.
Weather Strip is a new weather app that has a very nice interface. Virtually everything that you need to see is presented on a single timeline. Scroll the timeline to the right to see the forecast for the future, with the timeline dimming for the hours when the sun is set.
What makes Weather Strip unique is that the app uses layers in different colors along the same timeline to show different information in a concise matter. The main layer shows the chance of rain. (Or snow, but I’ll defer to folks who do not live in New Orleans to report on how well that works.). If there is a chance of thunderstorms, that appears in a darker blue layer on top of the blue rain layer. Next, there is a layer that shows how cloudy or sunny it is.
Atop all of those layers is a red line that shows the temperature. If the “feels like” temperature is significantly different than the actual temperature, then there is a shaded red area above or below the line to show the difference.
If you tap the “i” information button at the bottom right, the app also provides you with numbers to provide you with numbers giving the precise temperature, chance of rain, amount of rain, feel like temperature, etc. But I typically don’t find those numbers to be necessary. The size of the layers alone gives you a good sense of the current weather and the forecast from the shapes alone. But if you want to see those numbers, you can keep them on all of the time by tapping that i button.
Additional information is provided at the top of the app including a large number with the current temperature — or, if you have scrolled the timeline towards the future, the predicted temperature at that point in time. You can customize some of the information at the top.
Below the main timeline is a more condensed timeline showing you the upcoming week. Just looking at that timeline gives you a good sense of the forecast, but you can also tap on any part of it to bring the main timeline to that same location.
If there is a weather advisory, a banner appears above the timeline to alert you. Tap the banner to see more information.
Although the default is to show you the current temperature where you are located, you can tap on the map pin at the bottom center to choose a different location in the United States. (The current version of the app doesn’t have weather data for other countries.)
The app also works on the iPad, which I thought would be an advantage because of the larger screen. And you can see more of the timeline at one time on the iPad. But for my tastes, there isn't enough use of the top and bottom of the screen in the iPad version of the app. I really like this app on the iPhone, but I'm not nearly as much of a fan on the iPad.
Weather Strip doesn’t have more sophisticated features found in other weather apps like the current radar. But I love that it takes all of the most important information so that you can see it on the iPhone all at once. And by using a timeline, it is quickly obvious whether the temperature, chance of rain, etc. is increasing or decreasing in the future. About six years ago, I reviewed an app called Weather Line that used a similar system, but that app is no longer available in the App Store and will stop working on April 1, 2022, because the company was acquired by an undisclosed buyer. If you liked Weather Line, you’ll probably like Weather Strip.
Best of all, it is easy to try the app to find out if you like it. The developer provides a generous full month to use the app for free to see if it is right for you. If you like it after a month, you can subscribe for only $3.99/year. I’ll be doing so.
Click here to get Weather Strip (free to try): 
