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For animated conditions and a detailed forecast in the GNOME Shell top panel, compare Weatherglass and Weather Prime. Weatherglass stands out for its animated icon and forecast breadth; Weather Prime puts charts and visual weather summaries in a dropdown. The practical choice depends on whether you prioritize forecast detail, data-source setup, or the performance caveat reported for Weatherglass.
How the extensions compare
| Feature | Weatherglass | Weather Prime |
|---|---|---|
| Top-panel display | Current temperature and an animated condition icon. | A pill showing current conditions that opens a dropdown. |
| Forecast presentation | Current and hourly conditions, an 8-day forecast, and graphs for temperature, precipitation, and wind speed. | Graphs and visual weather pods. The article author found the displayed data less comprehensive than the extension-store screenshots suggested. |
| Weather data source | Choose among Open-Meteo, Met.no, and NOAA NWS; automatic location detection is available. | Open-Meteo is preconfigured. WeatherAPI.com is an alternative that requires obtaining and entering an API key. |
| Units | Metric or imperial; mixed selections such as Celsius with miles per hour are not reported. | Unit options are not stated in the source. |
| Reported caveat | Joey Sneddon reported continuous high CPU and GPU use, even when the extension was closed. | Sneddon did not see a live radar map or astronomy details such as tides, moon phase, or sunset in his use. |
The feature descriptions and hands-on observations above are from Joey Sneddon’s OMG! Ubuntu article. They are not a controlled comparison or an independent test.
What Weatherglass shows
Weatherglass pairs an animated current-condition icon and temperature in the panel with a more detailed forecast card. The card includes current and hourly conditions, an 8-day forecast, and graphs for temperature, precipitation, and wind speed. Its combination of animation and forecast breadth makes it the stronger fit if you want more than a compact conditions readout.
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Sources and units
Weatherglass offers Open-Meteo, Met.no, and NOAA NWS as data sources, plus automatic location detection. You can select metric or imperial units. The article does not establish whether individual units can be mixed—for example, Celsius for temperature and miles per hour for wind—so do not assume that level of customization.
#1 Best Overall
- COMPLETE WEATHER STATION: (1) Osprey Sensor Array with Rain Cup, and (1) Brilliant, Easy-to-Read LCD Color Display
- AUTHENTIC HYPER-LOCAL DATA: Monitor your actual home and backyard weather conditions with our wireless and Wi-Fi-enabled sensor array measuring wind speed/direction, temperature, humidity, rainfall, UV intensity, and solar radiation
- SMART HOME READY: Set up alerts, access your data remotely, and program your home based on weather conditions using IFTT, Google Home, Alexa, and more
- ENHANCED WIFI: Enables your station to transmit its data wirelessly to the world's largest personal weather station network (optional setting)
- JOIN THE COMMUNITY: Connect to Ambient Weather Network to customize your dashboard tiles, share hyperlocal weather conditions via social feeds and create your own forecasts (coming soon)
Performance caveat
Sneddon reported that Weatherglass continuously used substantial CPU and GPU resources even when closed, with added power use as a result. That is his experience, not a measured benchmark or proof that every installation behaves the same way. If you notice fan activity, sluggishness, or reduced battery life after installing it, disable the extension and compare behavior before deciding whether to keep it enabled.
What Weather Prime shows
Weather Prime uses a top-bar conditions pill to open a dropdown organized around graphs and visual pods. Open-Meteo is ready to use; choosing WeatherAPI.com instead means obtaining an API key from that service and entering it in the extension’s settings.
Rank #2
- [Color LCD Screen Weather Station] Newentor temperature & humidity monitor with a large color LCD display shows essential home weather information at a glance: indoor/outdoor temperature & humidity, daily high/low records, customizable alerts, time/date, alarm clock & snooze, weather forecast, moon phase, and barometric pressure.
- [Two Power Modes & Adjustable Backlight] To enjoy a 24/7 continuous always-on vibrant display, simply connect this home weather station to a wall outlet using the included DC power adapter. When operating on battery power only (batteries not included), the digital thermometer automatically enters an eco-energy-saving mode, where the screen lights up for a quick 15-second glance before dimming. It is the perfect bedside or living room clock designed to fit your power preference.
- [3-channel Home Weather Stations Wireless Indoor Outdoor] Wireless temperature forecast station supports up to 3 remote sensors to monitor inside outside temperature & humidity of multiple locations. Package contains one remote sensor.
- [Wireless Forecast Station] The weather forecast station calculates the weather forecast for the next 12-24 hours, 7 to 10 days calibration ensures an accurate personal forecast for your location.
- [Wireless Weather Station with Atomic Time&Date] Atomic alarm clock weather station can be used not only as a wireless indoor outdoor thermometer but also as an atomic clock with dual alarms.
What may be missing
In Sneddon’s use, the visible information was less comprehensive than the store screenshots implied. He did not see a live radar map or astronomy details such as tides, moon phase, or sunset. Those observations describe the author’s experience, not a guarantee about every version or configuration.
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Sneddon’s article reports that both extensions worked on GNOME 50 and connects that version context to Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. GNOME 51 support was uncertain in the article; that is not confirmation of incompatibility. Extension compatibility can change, so check each project’s current listing and supported GNOME Shell versions before installing or upgrading. The source is Sneddon’s article, rather than primary project documentation.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Illuminated Indoor Outdoor Weather Station for Home with Large Colorful Display: The home weather station delivers large big numbers for weather forecast info, indoor outdoor temperature, atomic time, date, year and calendar day, which is super easy to read from afar.
- Indoor outdoor Thermometer Wireless with High/Low Temperature Alert: The digital weather station supports 3 outdoor sensors which helps to monitor temperature and humidity of multiple locations (one sensor included). With the high/low temperature alert function, the weather station clock keeps you informed about the changes of weather thermometer outdoor.
- WWVB Atomic Weather Station with Auto DST: Weather atomic clock with indoor/outdoor temp always keeps precise time and date by receiving the WWVB atomic signal. The self setting digital weather clock will automatically adjust to daylight saving time with auto DST feature, no more resetting twice a year.
- Personal Weather Forecast Station: This weather stations wireless indoor outdoor predicts the next 12-24 hours weather condition with a 7-day calibration through the pressure of your location which provides you a better outing experience.
- 5 Level Adjustable Backlight Brightness: The weather clock indoor outdoor temperature atomic with backlight dimmer function helps you avoid high-intensity light that disturb your sleep and easily check the weather situation during the day.
Rank #3
- Allows you to monitor your home and backyard weather conditions with TFT color display
- Wireless all-in-one integrated sensor array measures wind speed/direction, temperature, humidity, rainfall, UV and solar radiation
- Supports both imperial and metric units of measure with calibration available
- Enhanced Wi-Fi connectability option that enables your station to transmit its data wirelessly to the world's largest personal weather station network
- Console power provided by 5V DC adapter (included), and sensor array requires 3 x AAA batteries (not included)
Which one should you choose?
- Choose Weatherglass if animated conditions, an 8-day outlook, hourly data, and forecast graphs are the draw—and you are willing to watch for the author-reported resource-use issue.
- Choose Weather Prime if you prefer a chart-led dropdown and want Open-Meteo preconfigured, or are comfortable setting up a WeatherAPI.com key.
- Check current compatibility first if you are installing on a newer GNOME Shell release than the GNOME 50 snapshot described in the article.
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