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Weather and Info

Stay informed with local weather forecasts, time, date, and useful information displayed on your family hubs.

Overview​

Weather and Info widgets provide essential information at a glance - current conditions, forecasts, time, and more. Perfect for planning your day and keeping the family informed.

Key Features:

  • Current weather and temperature
  • 5-7 day forecast
  • Weather alerts and warnings
  • Clock and date display
  • Sunrise/sunset times
  • Air quality index
  • Customizable units (F/C, mph/kph)

Weather Widget​

Setup​

  1. Go to layout editor
  2. Add Weather content area
  3. Enter your location (zip code or city)
  4. Choose temperature unit (Fahrenheit/Celsius)
  5. Select widget style
  6. Save layout

Auto-Location: FamilyCast can detect location from your IP address automatically.

Display Options​

Compact Widget:

  • Current temp + icon
  • High/low for today
  • Small corner placement
  • 10-15% of screen

Standard Widget:

  • Current conditions
  • Today's forecast
  • 3-day outlook
  • 20-30% of screen

Extended Widget:

  • Current conditions detailed
  • Hourly forecast (next 12 hours)
  • 7-day forecast
  • Weather alerts
  • 40-50% of screen

Full Screen:

  • Complete weather dashboard
  • Detailed hourly and daily
  • Maps and radar (coming soon)
  • Weather news
  • 100% of screen

Weather Information​

Current Conditions:

  • Temperature (feels like vs actual)
  • Weather description ("Partly Cloudy")
  • Icon representing conditions
  • Wind speed and direction
  • Humidity percentage
  • Barometric pressure

Forecast:

  • Today and tonight
  • Next 5-7 days
  • High/low temperatures
  • Precipitation chance
  • Weather conditions
  • Sunrise/sunset times

Weather Alerts:

  • Severe weather warnings
  • Winter storm alerts
  • Heat advisories
  • Air quality alerts
  • Prominently displayed
  • Color-coded by severity

Clock and Date​

Time Display​

Digital Clock:

  • 12-hour or 24-hour format
  • AM/PM indicator
  • Seconds display (optional)
  • Large, readable font

Analog Clock:

  • Traditional clock face
  • Hour and minute hands
  • Optional second hand
  • Classic or modern style

World Clock:

  • Multiple time zones
  • Useful for remote family
  • Grandparents in different zone
  • International family connections

Date Display​

Formats:

  • Full: "Saturday, January 15, 2025"
  • Medium: "Sat, Jan 15, 2025"
  • Short: "1/15/2025"
  • Day only: "Saturday"

Calendar Integration:

  • Show today's events count
  • "3 events today"
  • Link to full calendar view
  • Quick daily overview

Location-Based Features​

Multiple Locations​

Use Cases:

  • Home weather
  • Work/school weather
  • Vacation home weather
  • Grandparents' location

Display:

  • Primary location prominent
  • Secondary locations smaller
  • Comparison view
  • "Home: 72°, Grandma's: 85°"

Weather-Triggered Actions​

Automatic Adjustments:

  • Rain forecast → Display umbrella reminder message
  • Cold weather → "Wear a jacket!" message
  • Snow day → Check for school closures
  • Heat warning → Hydration reminders

Smart Reminders:

  • Temperature below 40°F: Jacket reminder
  • Rain chance over 50%: Umbrella reminder
  • Air quality poor: Stay indoors message
  • UV index high: Sunscreen reminder

Air Quality​

AQI Display:

  • Air Quality Index (0-500)
  • Color-coded (green = good, red = unhealthy)
  • Health recommendations
  • Outdoor activity guidance

Pollen Count:

  • Tree pollen levels
  • Grass pollen
  • Weed pollen
  • Allergy sufferers benefit

Recommendations:

  • "Good air quality - enjoy outdoors!"
  • "Moderate - sensitive groups take precautions"
  • "Unhealthy - limit outdoor exposure"
  • "Hazardous - stay indoors"

Common Layouts​

Kitchen Display​

Weather + Calendar:

  • 30% Weather widget (top-right)
  • 70% Family calendar
  • Quick weather check while planning

Setup:

  • Standard weather widget
  • Shows current + today's forecast
  • Updates every hour

Entryway Display​

Weather + Today's Schedule:

  • 20% Weather (top)
  • 70% Today's agenda
  • 10% Time/date

Purpose:

  • Last check before leaving
  • Dress appropriately
  • Plan departure time

Kids' Room​

Simple Weather:

  • Large temperature display
  • Weather icon (sun, clouds, rain)
  • "Dress for: Cold" or "Dress for: Warm"
  • Kid-friendly visuals

Living Room​

Weather as Accent:

  • 80% Photos
  • 10% Weather
  • 10% Time
  • Ambient information display

Customization​

Units and Preferences​

Temperature:

  • Fahrenheit (°F)
  • Celsius (°C)
  • Auto-detect by location

Wind Speed:

  • Miles per hour (mph)
  • Kilometers per hour (kph)
  • Meters per second (m/s)
  • Knots

Precipitation:

  • Inches
  • Millimeters
  • Probability percentage

Pressure:

  • Inches of mercury (inHg)
  • Millibars (mb)
  • Hectopascals (hPa)

Visual Styles​

Modern:

  • Clean, minimalist
  • Simple icons
  • Flat design
  • Contemporary fonts

Classic:

  • Traditional weather symbols
  • Serif fonts
  • Detailed information
  • Conservative layout

Playful:

  • Animated weather icons
  • Bright colors
  • Fun fonts
  • Kid-friendly

Weather Data Source​

Powered By:

  • National Weather Service (US)
  • OpenWeatherMap (global)
  • Weather Underground (detailed)
  • AccuWeather (extended forecasts)

Update Frequency:

  • Current conditions: Every 15 minutes
  • Forecasts: Every hour
  • Alerts: Real-time
  • Radar: Every 5 minutes (if available)

Accuracy:

  • Current: Very high
  • 1-day forecast: High
  • 3-day forecast: Good
  • 7-day forecast: Moderate

Troubleshooting​

Wrong Location Showing​

Issue: Weather shows different city

Solutions:

  • Manually enter zip code or city name
  • Disable auto-location detection
  • Check spelling of city name
  • Use zip code instead of city for accuracy

Weather Not Updating​

Check:

  1. Internet connection active
  2. Display is online
  3. Location is valid

Solutions:

  • Refresh display browser
  • Re-enter location
  • Check if weather service is down (rare)
  • Wait 15 minutes for next update

Temperature in Wrong Units​

Fix:

  • Go to layout settings
  • Weather widget settings
  • Change Fahrenheit ↔ Celsius
  • Save and refresh

Best Practices​

Placement:

  • Corner or edge of layout
  • Doesn't distract from main content
  • Easily glanceable
  • Consistent location across displays

Update Frequency:

  • Morning displays: Check before school/work
  • Entryway: Check before leaving
  • Kitchen: Background awareness
  • Bedroom: Check night before for tomorrow

Information Density:

  • Kitchen: Detailed (full forecast)
  • Entryway: Essential (current + today)
  • Kids' rooms: Simple (temp + icon)
  • Photos displays: Minimal (current temp only)

Next Steps​

Combine with Other Features:

Setup:

Questions? Contact [email protected] or check Common Issues