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Weather · head to head

Weather.gov vs Yr.no

Weather.gov logo

Weather.gov

Weather

Official U.S. National Weather Service forecasts

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Yr.no logo

Yr.no

Weather

Norway's trusted free weather service for the world

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Weather.gov no official mobile app, requiring users to access through browser or shortcuts; Yr.no full API/data usage requires attribution to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and NRK per their terms, not a no-strings-attached free service
  • They diverge on capability: Weather.gov covers Official forecasts, Yr.no covers Hourly forecasts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Weather.gov and Yr.no actually diverge.

Attributes where Weather.gov and Yr.no differ
AttributeWeather.govYr.no
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded18702007

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Weather).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Weather.gov

  • Official forecasts
  • Severe weather warnings
  • Radar imagery
  • Marine forecasts
  • Aviation weather
  • API access
  • Data feeds
  • Alert systems

Only in Yr.no

  • Hourly forecasts
  • Long-term predictions
  • Precipitation graphs
  • Wind data
  • Aurora forecasts
  • Open API
  • Widgets
  • Smart displays

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Weather.gov

  • Professional Worknot Yr.no
  • Content Creationnot Yr.no

Yr.no

  • Checking day-by-day and hour-by-hour weather forecasts with graph detailsnot Weather.gov
  • Now-cast alerts for rainfall expected within the next 90 minutesnot Weather.gov
  • Viewing UV forecasts, pollen spread, and air pollution overviewsnot Weather.gov
  • Embedding free weather widgets/modules on third-party websitesnot Weather.gov
  • Building weather features into apps via Yr's free REST APIs (forecasts, alerts, radar, ocean data)not Weather.gov

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Weather.gov

  • No official mobile app, requiring users to access through browser or shortcuts
  • No push notifications for weather alerts
  • Outdated user interface compared to commercial alternatives
  • Mobile website has been decommissioned with no dedicated mobile experience

Yr.no

  • Full API/data usage requires attribution to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and NRK per their terms, not a no-strings-attached free service
  • Product and documentation are heavily Norway/Nordic-centric in framing even though forecasts cover any location on earth
  • No paid/pro consumer tier is published, monetization/support model beyond the free service is unclear from primary sources

Pricing, plan by plan

Weather.gov

Free
  • FreeFree
    • All forecasts
    • Severe weather alerts
    • Radar data

Yr.no

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full weather data
    • Hourly forecasts
    • Long-term outlook

Which should you pick?

Choose Weather.gov if

  • You need official forecasts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want severe weather warnings.
Weather.gov review

Choose Yr.no if

  • You need hourly forecasts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want long-term predictions.
Yr.no review

Questions people ask

Is Weather.gov or Yr.no better?
Neither clearly leads. Weather.gov starts at Free and Yr.no at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Weather.gov or Yr.no?
Weather.gov starts at Free and Yr.no at Free.
Does Weather.gov or Yr.no run on more platforms?
Weather.gov runs on Web. Yr.no runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Weather.gov for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Weather.gov best used for?
Weather.gov is most often used for professional work, content creation. Of those, professional work and content creation are not what Yr.no is typically brought in for.
What can Weather.gov do that Yr.no cannot?
Weather.gov covers Official forecasts, Severe weather warnings, Radar imagery, Marine forecasts. Yr.no covers Hourly forecasts, Long-term predictions, Precipitation graphs, Wind data. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Weather.gov: Does Weather.gov have a mobile app?

No. The National Weather Service does not provide an official mobile app. Users can access weather.gov through a mobile browser or create a home screen shortcut, but there is no dedicated app for push notifications or offline access.

Source
Yr.no: Is Yr.no free to use?

Yes, Yr.no is a free weather forecasting service. It is a collaboration between NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting) and The Norwegian Meteorological Institute.

Source
Weather.gov: Is Weather.gov free?

Yes. Weather.gov and its public API at api.weather.gov are completely free to use with no subscription fees. The API only requires a User-Agent header identification and serves weather data at no cost.

Source
Yr.no: Does Yr.no require registration or payment to access weather forecasts?

The website does not mention any registration requirements, subscription tiers, or payment obligations. Access to weather information appears to be free without account creation.

Source
Weather.gov: What data formats does Weather.gov API support?

The API supports multiple formats including GeoJSON (default), JSON-LD, DWML, OXML, CAP (Common Alerting Protocol), and ATOM, allowing developers to integrate weather data into various applications.

Source
Yr.no: Who funds and maintains Yr.no if it is free?

Yr.no is maintained as a public service collaboration between NRK (Norwegian public broadcasting) and The Norwegian Meteorological Institute, both government-supported organizations.

Source
Weather.gov: Can I get detailed forecast data beyond basic predictions?

Yes. Weather.gov provides gridpoint endpoints with 12-hour and hourly forecast periods, raw forecast data at approximately 2.5km resolution, current observations from weather stations, and detailed alerts with state, county, and zone filtering.

Source
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