5 Best Weather Apps for Google Chrome

1: Full Screen Weather

Full Screen Weather has 4 stars out of a possible 5 from 2,533 reviewers in the Chrome Web Store. The app has 952,524 users.

Without a doubt, this app offers the best-looking weather maps out there for desktop, even if it is a little peculiar to navigate.

This Wunderground crowdsourced app is simply a straight mash-up of Google Maps along with satellite or terrain detail -- and superimposed radar, satellite weather or reporting weather station data. Thousands of data sources are included, such as hobbyist stations and remote automated stations perched on mountaintops. Drill-down for super-local observations.

 2: Rain Alarm

Rain Alarm has 4 stars out of a possible 5 from 304 reviewers in the Chrome Web Store. The app has 81,331 users.

This app warns you of precipitation headed your way. Set your location and some parameters, like a search radius, and the app will alert you. You may have to adjust sensitivity and search interval, but it does usually work.

Alternatives include looking out of the window.

 3: WeatherBug

WeatherBug has 4 stars out of a possible 5 from 3,016 reviewers in the Chrome Web Store. The app has 608,449 users.

A good, solid, all-round weather extension with animated graphics. A close-by weather cam will display in the animated window if available. An additional add-on for Windows gives you severe weather alerts in your taskbar.

Detailed observations include must-haves like humidity, monthly rain and an interesting rain rate for the day. All useful stuff.

 4: Uber Weather

Uber Weather has 4 stars out of a possible 5 from six reviewers in the Chrome Web Store. The app has 3,490 users.

Here's a Google-driven weather map that includes layers like ski resorts, driving directions and traffic. It's not quite as elegant as the other apps we've included, hence its runner's-up position. Still, it is remarkably interesting to see traffic snarl-ups created by weather, and it's a tool you can use to pick alternate freeway commute routes based on rain-dumping weather cells.

 5: YoWindow Weather

YoWindow Weather has 5 stars out of a possible 5 from 4,467 reviewers in the Chrome Web Store. The app has 190,747 users.

"Quirky" would be a good one-word description for this very popular extension. Clicking on a button adjacent to the address bar creates an animated "living landscape" that reflects the weather.

Choose from weather layer-superimposed pastoral scenes, cityscapes and other scenes -- or make your own with any photo -- and the weather animates in real-time, a bit like looking out of a virtual window. A time scroll lets you project a forecast graphically. Fun, if you've got time on your hands.