Google WeatherNext 3 is here: faster forecasts and better rain prediction

Google rolled out WeatherNext 3 today, the latest version of its forecasting system. The update brings faster global forecasts, hourly refreshes, and higher-resolution maps, and Google says it does a better job with rain and snow too.

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The system now uses newer observational inputs, including real-time satellite data. Google says WeatherNext 3 can produce variables like temperature and moisture at resolutions of up to 5 km. That’s a big jump from WeatherNext 2, which worked on 6-hour forecasts across a 25 km grid, so local changes should show up sooner.

Google also says its precipitation forecasts can improve by as much as 50% at least a day ahead. That could matter if you commute, plan events, or manage utilities, especially outside the US and Europe, where rain gauges are more sparse and satellite coverage has to do more of the work.

If weather feeds into energy or grid planning where you work, this deserves a look too. Google says related systems such as GraphCast have generated 10-day forecasts in under a minute on a single machine. WeatherNext 3 also adds 100-meter wind data for turbine operations. And in some studies, GraphCast has beaten ECMWF’s HRES on more than 90% of the variables tested, although human experts are still needed for rare extremes and storm structures that can be tricky to pin down.

You won’t be downloading WeatherNext 3 as a consumer weather app. Google is positioning it for forecasting teams and weather operations.