The power of accuracy: Why leading businesses demand proven weather forecasting

Weather forecasts shape critical decisions daily.  From planning your morning commute to optimizing global supply chains — forecast accuracy isn’t just preferred, it’s essential.

But what does better accuracy actually mean for those who depend on it? Let’s look at the real-world impact in businesses across industries and why they place their trust in The Weather Company – the world’s most accurate forecaster.¹

Advertising: Turning weather science into marketing ROI

Consciously or subconsciously, weather influences every aspect and decision of people’s lives – how we feel, what we try, and what we buy. Even a one degree Celsius increase in temperature can lead to a 1.2% boost in consumer spending.²

And it adds up: The National Retail Federation estimates that weather affects about $1 trillion in global sales annually.³ When it comes to delivering a brand message in the right moment, to the right people, the precision and accuracy of weather-targeted advertising isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a must have.

In today’s cluttered ad environment where every touchpoint counts, marketers can’t afford to waste budget or an opportunity to drive an action. Take it from Ryan Oliver, Head of Communications at EcoFlow — an emerging leader in portable power solutions: “The Weather Company’s credibility and accuracy helped us reach a highly engaged audience actively seeking solutions for weather-related outages, boosting awareness and interest in EcoFlow’s backup power solutions.”

Aviation: Better forecasts, safer flights

In aviation, forecast accuracy directly impacts both safety, customer satisfaction, and profitability. Weather causes approximately 75% of all flight delays⁴ costing an airline an estimated around $60 billion annually.⁵ Further, weather conditions are the source of more than 65% of injuries to passengers and crew due to turbulence.

With accurate, probabilistic forecasts, airlines can better anticipate disruptions before they happen — not just react to them. This leads to better, more efficient route planning, reduced fuel consumption, and happier passengers flying smoother skies. Take it firsthand from Nathan Polderman, Sr. Manager of Meteorology, United Airlines: “United Airlines’ operations are greatly enhanced from the accuracy of The Weather Company forecast data and the ability for their meteorologists — embedded in the United Network Operations Center — to quickly adjust and communicate nuances and uncertainties in the forecast. Precise and accurate weather forecasts are critical to United’s efforts to maintain safe and efficient operations and keep customers satisfied.”

Media: Building viewer trust

For broadcasters, forecast accuracy isn’t just about ratings — it’s the trust currency that makes viewers reach for their channel first. And in the highly competitive media landscape, trusted weather forecasts directly impact station credibility.

Consistent, accurate forecasts strengthen viewer loyalty and position the broadcast team as the authoritative weather source — either nationally or locally. As Patrick Bigbie, Chief Meteorologist, WDAM-TV, puts it: “The Weather Company’s GRAF model is the first one I check each day when building my forecasts and presentations. I find it very reliable and trustworthy enough to share with my viewers.” Mark Nelsen, Chief Meteorologist at KPTV & KPDX Television, adds: “We’ve been using The Weather Company’s GRAF model for over five years now. Its accuracy is remarkable and I’ve learned not to second guess it since it usually proves me wrong.”  GRAF, a proprietary global weather modeling system, is just one of the many forecasting technologies built and used at The Weather Company to drive the accuracy of our weather forecast portfolio.

Government & defense: When missions and lives are at stake

In defense operations, even minor weather forecast deviations can compromise asset deployment, technological capabilities, and personnel safety.

With weather intelligence that accurately predicts weather conditions on the ground and in the air, military personnel teams can better prepare for the operating conditions they’ll face in the field. This preparation allows for tactical adjustments that create strategic advantage. When adversaries rely on less accurate or incomplete information, your enhanced weather awareness becomes a decisive operational edge.

This tactical advantage becomes increasingly valuable in today’s more volatile operational environments. Gareth Collier, former Special Forces Officer, drives home the importance: “For military capability and personnel safety, forecast accuracy isn’t just a matter of convenience — it’s critical to both mission success and saving lives. Weather conditions affect everything across soldier welfare, platform preservation, and tactical advantage. Precise meteorological information is a force multiplier that enables optimal military strategy and operational planning.”

Not all forecasts are created equal

Many claim it, but only one forecaster can prove it: The Weather Company is the world’s most accurate forecaster.⁶ Delivering this level of accuracy doesn’t happen by chance. It requires a unique approach to weather forecasting that only The Weather Company has pioneered and continues to perfect.

Since our inception nearly five decades ago, we’ve combined human, meteorological expertise with proprietary, state-of-the-science technologies and AI to provide accurate forecasts and scalable solutions for people and businesses alike. And with that accuracy comes trust – trust that has earned us the distinction of being the most trusted weather provider and one of the top 15 most trusted brands among all adults in 2025.⁷

Solutions to thrive in the face of impactful weather

Accurate weather data helps instill confidence, drive decisions, and propel the world. That’s why we’re committed to continuous innovation of current and future solutions, including:

• Weather Data APIs: We deliver real-time and historical weather data that provides high-resolution, continuously-updated, and hyper-local intelligence.
• Consumer experiences: We’re trusted by more than 330 million monthly people each month across all digital properties including weather.com and The Weather Channel app.⁸ The Weather Channel app stands as the #1 most downloaded weather app in the U.S, a daily habit for over 50 million people.⁹
• Enterprise solutions: Our solutions power decisions for 2,000+ enterprise customers across media (600+ broadcast stations), aviation (25,000+ flights per day), government, defense, agriculture, insurance, automotive, retail, CPG, pharma, energy, and beyond.

The best of both worlds: Human expertise + AI precision

We combine human meteorological expertise with advanced AI to create forecasting capabilities that neither could achieve alone:

• Human guided, AI-powered approach: 100+ meteorologists collaborate with our AI systems through a “human over the loop” model, combining decades of expertise with cutting-edge technology to deliver fresh, precise, more accurate, and actionable forecasts.
• Scientific collaboration: Our ongoing work and dialog with the broader scientific community includes NCAR, UCAR, and NOAA, accelerating our innovation while advancing capabilities for everyone.
• Technological rigor: We process 75+ billion terabytes of data daily across 100+ forecast models to create 25+ billion personalized, on-demand forecasts for 2.2 billion global locations. As a component of that technology stack, our proprietary, high precision weather modeling system, GRAF, provides hourly updates that can predict something as small as a thunderstorm, virtually anywhere on the planet.

When weather shapes decisions, accuracy is the only option

For decisions that affect people and businesses everywhere, you need forecasts you can count on every time.

The question isn’t whether you can afford accurate weather intelligence, but whether you can afford to be without it. It’s your turn: Discover how our unmatched forecast accuracy can transform your business outcomes.