One of the most useful functions of most mobile devices is the ability to provide you with an up to date weather forecast.  One most mobile platforms, there is a seemingly endless supply of options, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.  On the Palm Pre, there is only one option, but it comes from the incredibly accurate AccuWeather  app.

Like every other weather app you have used, the first thing you will want to do is enter your location.  What I really liked here was that you do not have to select a location from a limited list of cities.  You can enter the name of your city or your zip code.  You can even choose to pinpoint your exact location using the GPS.

Once you have set your location, you will be faced with an extremely easy to use interface.  The main screen (top) gives you the graphical current weather, along with the time and temperature.  Beneath that is the 14 day forecast (showing five days at a time on the screen.

Click over to the time screen and you can see how the weather changed at different times throughout the day.

The radar map allows you to see the weather patterns as they develop across your region.  These were nice, but unlike some programs, they were not animated.  While a static image is nice, animation would allow you to track the path of the weather patterns. 

Finally, my favorite screen shows you the conditions for various outdoor activities.  Green means you have the go ahead to participate, yellow means you may have some problems, and if there is a red then you should plan an indoor activity instead.

While I was impressed by the accuracy of the AccuWeather app, I found it to be a bit underpowered.  There was no way to get a more detailed forecast, animate the weather maps, and any number of other sophisticated features and notifications which other weather apps feature.  I was also quite dismayed to find that AccuWeather was ad supported, with ads scrolling across the middle of the screen at regular intervals.  I’ll leave this one on my Pre for now, but I am hoping another option comes along soon.

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