Keeping the tabs on the weather isn't the most exciting activity in the world, but it's usually a necessity. While a small number of people have the luxury of living in areas with a stable climate, many of us live in areas where a sunny day can be lost to a thunderstorm in just a few minutes.
There are many ways to find out about the weather, and one of them is by using Windows gadgets. Unfortunately, there's no such thing as weather widgets for Windows 10, as Microsoft removed this feature when Windows 8 came out.
But don't worry—there's a workaround for this. Let's take a look at some of the best Windows weather widgets for keeping tabs on mother nature.
How to Get Weather Widgets for Windows 10
Before diving into the list of desktop weather Windows gadgets, you should know how to get these widgets to work in the first place. Windows 10 no longer has the convenient gadgets feature that Windows 7 came with, so you'll have to install a third-party app to take your desktop back in time.
Make sure to read this article on how to get Windows 10 gadgets on your desktop before continuing.
For this article, I installed 8GadgetPack. By default, 8GadgetPack comes with some of the apps I've put on this list, including Chameleon Weather, MSN Weather, and My Weather.
Any other apps on the list come from Win7Gadgets, which is a site worth checking out if you're looking for more gadgets to add to your desktop.
The following weather gadgets still work, despite being many years old.
1. MSN Weather Widget
The default view of the MSN app simply shows the name of your city, the temperature, and a graphic that indicates current weather conditions and time. If you click on the name of the city, you will open up the MSN weather page in your browser, while clicking elsewhere on the widget will open a five-day extended forecast.
While there are no options to show information like humidity, wind speed, or radar, it still holds up as a useful weather tool that's fun to check every day.
Download: MSN Weather Widget
2. Chameleon Weather
Out of all the apps on this list, Chameleon Weather is the most simple. It merely shows the highs and lows for your city and displays the current weather conditions. Double clicking the current weather graphic will open up an extended forecast.
After searching for and selecting your city in the settings, the app will do the rest of the work for you—it automatically pulls up the forecast for your area. Plus, it's small enough to tuck away in the corner of your desktop without taking up too much space.
Download: Chameleon Weather
3. AccuWeather
Not only is AccuWeather one of the best websites for finding out the upcoming forecast, but it also comes in the form of a bite-sized Windows weather gadget.
Clicking on the blue icon in the top left of the AccuWeather gadget allows you to specify your location. The gadget will then show your city's current temperature and weather conditions. Select the center of the gadget to open up a handy five-day forecast.
You can view an even more detailed forecast by clicking on your city's name—the gadget will redirect you to AccuWeather's website for more information. Similarly, clicking a plus button underneath one of the days on the weekly forecast will bring you to that specific day on AccuWeather's website.
Download: AccuWeather Forecast
4. My Weather
If you want a detailed forecast on your desktop, this Windows 10 weather widget is the way to go. At first glance, My Weather looks like a simple gadget that displays a weather graphic and a temperature. However, once you enlarge it, you'll see a three-day forecast, along with humidity, wind speed, and the "feels like" temperature.
In addition to all these useful features, this gadget also offers extensive customization options. You can change the color of the gadget's background, change the look of the text, as well as incorporate the sunrise and sunset times.
Download: My Weather
5. WeatherEye
WeatherEye is another great desktop weather widget for Windows 10. As soon as you input your location and enlarge it, the gadget will show you the temperature, weather conditions, humidity, wind speed, pressure, and a two-day forecast.
Click on the Weather Maps link at the bottom of the gadget, and a radar on the Weather Network's website will appear in your browser. Just keep in mind that the Weather Cameras and Traffic & Roads links no longer work properly.
Download: WeatherEye
6. Yrweather
The Yrweather Windows weather gadget for Windows 10 might not look the most attractive, but it still provides an accurate forecast. However, this gadget doesn't offer forecasts for smaller towns and cities. When you browse through its selection of cities for your country, you'll find only the major ones listed.
The gadget's main screen displays the current precipitation amount, weather conditions, temperature, wind speed, as well as wind direction. To view the forecast for the next four days, click the blue arrow at the bottom left corner of the gadget.
Download: Yrweather
7. M's Black Glass Weather
M's Black Glass Weather widget has "Black Glass" in its name for a reason—the widget's background is a transparent black color. That way, your weather widget doesn't have to fully cover anything on your desktop. It looks almost identical to the Chameleon Weather widget, with only a couple of small aesthetic differences, namely its slightly darker color and rounded corners.
Like most gadgets on this list, it displays the bare minimum on its default screen. You'll only see the weather conditions and temperature before expanding the widget. When you click on the widget, it'll show you the forecast for the rest of the week. It includes brief, written descriptions of the forecast as well.
Download: M's Black Glass Weather
Track the Forecast in Windows 10 With Desktop Weather Widgets
While you might think Windows widgets are a thing of the past, some of them are still alive and well on Windows 10. Not to mention that having weather widgets right on your desktop is super convenient—you can find out the forecast with just a quick glance!