One of the best contents to display on any digital signage is the current weather in the area. Showing the weather forecast on your digital signage board is a terrific way to catch your audience's attention and engage them.

The weather is appropriate for most venues, from restaurants and stores to company offices and schools, making it the ideal time to engage with people and build a connection between their minds and your brand.

In this post, we'll explore common ways to display the weather to your audience on your digital signage.

Weather for Digital Signage

Digital signage can convey a wide variety of messages to an audience, with the specific content different depending on the organization. For example, some may use it as a menu board, while others may use it for school announcements or emergency alerts.

However, regardless of the organization, displaying the local weather is something that most people find useful. Many businesses choose to use RSS weather feeds, which can be unreliable and result in error messages on the display.

Finding a reliable weather feed or service to pull the forecast from can be a complex process, especially when using most digital signage content management systems.

Widgets For Digital Signage

When using digital signage, it's important for businesses to choose a suitable method to display the weather. This can be done through a weather widget application or other manual means. We will discuss the two types in this article.

This section of the article explores five different weather widget applications and other solutions for digital signage weather. The next section discusses different ways to manually feed weather information to digital signage.

Let’s begin with the first:

1. AccuWeather

AccuWeather is a popular weather forecasting solution that offers a range of products and services, including a weather widget that can be used to display weather information on digital signage.

To use the AccuWeather widget on digital signage, one would first need to sign up for an AccuWeather account and select the appropriate widget type from their library of available widgets.

The widget can then be customized to display weather information for a specific location or region, and users can choose to display a range of information such as current temperature, forecast, and radar maps.

Once configured, the AccuWeather widget can be embedded into a digital signage content management system, using an HTML code provided by AccuWeather. The widget can then be added to a playlist or scheduled to display at specific times on digital signage displays.

The AccuWeather widget provides a reliable and customizable way to display weather information on digital signage displays, which can be useful for a wide range of organizations such as retail stores, hotels, airports, and more.

2. Weather Underground

The Weather Underground Weather Widget is a free service that allows you to display real-time weather information on your website or digital signage. With this widget, you can show current conditions, hourly forecasts, and extended forecasts for any location for free.

What’s more? It is easy to use. All you have to do is pick a widget you like on their official website. You can customize the widget you choose to match your branding and preferences. You can change details like the font size, color, and style of the widget. You can also choose to not display certain weather information.

After you are finished, there will be HTML code generated for you. You will paste this code into your digital signage software or website. Once you save the changes, you can see the widget on your digital signage display already. In your digital signage content management area, you can set the time and schedule for the display.

3. Weather Channel

The Weather Channel Weather Widget is an interactive weather widget that allows you to easily display weather updates on your digital signage. With this widget, you can display up-to-date weather data, such as temperature, sunrise and sunset times, chance of precipitation, and more. The widget also features customizable options to ensure that it displays relevant weather information for your location.

To set up the Weather Channel Weather Widget, you will need to create a Weather Channel account. Once your account is created, you can log in and customize the widget to display the weather data you want. You can adjust the size of the widget and choose from various themes, backgrounds, and colors to ensure it fits with your digital signage.

Once your widget is set up, you can easily display and update the weather information on your digital signage. This feature makes it easy and convenient to stay up-to-date with the weather in your area.

4. Ventusky

Ventusky is an online weather visualization and forecasting application. It provides a 3D map showing the development of weather in a broader area and highly accurate weather forecasts for your location.

You can use the search feature to find your location, add it to your favorite locations, and view detailed weather forecasts. The app allows for the illustration of meteorological events in our atmosphere. You can also customize the display of the weather data by choosing different layers, such as wind, rain, radar, or temperature maps.

Ventusky is available on the Play Store and the App Store. You can get the app on your Smart TV, install it, and use it to display a map of whatever location you select with various weather layers, such as temperature, wind speed, precipitation, and air pressure. You can use the arrow keys on your remote to move around the map and view different areas.

To view the detailed weather forecast for the selected location, select the "Forecast" tab on the right side of the screen.

5. OpenWeatherMap

OpenWeatherMap offers a weather widget that can be customized to display weather information for a specific location. The widget includes a five-day forecast and can be embedded on a webpage or displayed on a digital signage player.

OpenWeatherMap is a popular weather service that allows you to display current weather information on digital signage. To use OpenWeatherMap on your digital signage, you will need to create an OpenWeatherMap account and obtain an API key. Once you have your API key, you can use it to access OpenWeatherMap’s weather data in JSON format.

Once you have the JSON data, you can use it to display the current weather information on your digital signage. This data can include the temperature, humidity, winds, and other weather-related information.

Additionally, you can customize the appearance of the weather data to make it fit with your digital signage. For example, you can choose different fonts, colors, and backgrounds to make the data more visually appealing.

OpenWeatherMap is a great way to display current weather information on your digital signage and keep customers up-to-date with the weather in your area.

Companies have multiple options to choose from when it comes to displaying weather content on their digital signage. However, before selecting a solution, they should carefully consider various factors such as ease-of-use, design, customizability, and cost.

It's also crucial to ensure that the chosen weather widget is compatible with a versatile digital signage player that meets the company's other digital signage requirements.

Different Formats of Digital Signage Weather

Incorporating weather forecasts into your digital signage display can be an effective way to attract and captivate your audience.

The versatile nature of weather makes it a fitting addition to a wide range of settings, including restaurants, stores, business offices, and schools, allowing you to establish a connection with your audience and foster a link between their thoughts and your brand.

Here are different media formats that you can use to manually feed weather information into your digital signage, whether you are using a commercial display or a regular TV.

1. XML Feed

XML feeds are used to store and transmit data, but they cannot display it by default. To display the data, you need to create a separate template. The template will be the format and style that best suit the user's needs, where the XML data will be displayed.

XML feeds are capable of carrying comprehensive content, such as a three-day weather forecast, and updating it automatically. That means you will collect data three days in advance so the XML feed can feed it to digital signage automatically every 24 hours.

To showcase weather content using the XML format, you need to acquire a feed source. You will need a source to collect the data, which can be obtained from a variety of businesses.and paste the link into your digital signage system. Some sources for obtaining XML files include:

• National Weather Service: This is a free resource that provides XML-formatted files. It is advisable to seek permission from NOAA before using these files.
• WeatherOnYourSite: This website offers customized XML feeds that are tailored to individual needs. For specific details and pricing, users can contact the website directly.

2. RSS Feed

RSS feeds are a type of XML feed that provides automatic displays of information. For example, when you see a red bar appearing on the bottom of a TV screen, displaying new weather updates or stock market numbers, these are RSS feeds.

Unlike XML feeds, which carry comprehensive content, RSS feeds communicate only the latest information. Nevertheless, they update automatically, just like XML feeds.

Creating a customized RSS feed requires online tools and local sources. However, it needs frequent maintenance since users must update it themselves.

To add an existing RSS feed to a system, users can follow the same process as when using XML format, i.e., find a feed source and copy-paste the link into the system. Some RSS weather feed sources include:

• National Weather Service: NOAA has RSS files available in addition to XML.
• RSSWeather: This website provides a simple weather report without any advanced features, making it an ideal platform to get familiar with the basics.

In summary, RSS feeds are a standardized way to distribute various types of content and keep people informed about different industries and topics. When the content feed is about the weather, it's known as an RSS weather feed.

These feeds provide two types of weather updates: the latest weather news, including alerts, and live, moment-by-moment updates on atmospheric details such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed.

3. API Keys

API keys have become more prevalent in recent years, replacing RSS feeds as a user-friendly option. To use API keys, users request a key from their preferred source and enter it into their signage system.

Major API key providers include Yahoo Weather, Accuweather, National Weather Service, and Weather Underground. To obtain an API key, users can search for their desired source and add the keyword "API" to their search. This will direct them to the relevant website where they can easily copy and paste the key into their signage system.

4. Widget Application

Widget applications are akin to regular applications in that they are downloaded onto a system, similar to a smartphone app. However, whereas a regular app requires tapping the icon to display its content, a widget app allows for content to be displayed simultaneously with other content.

Widgets are an optimal means of displaying weather information to viewers, combining the user-friendly nature of an app with the ability to run alongside other features. All the widgets mentioned above can be used with any digital signage software, but especially on Android and Apple TVs. They are the best format of displaying digital signage weather.

Integrate Weather Into Your Entertainment and Digital Signage Display

If you want weather to appear in the form of a widget within the context of your existing digital entertainment display, consider Loop TV. Loop TV is a free streaming service for businesses offering over 200 channels of fully licensed content, including music and non-music entertainment. Loop TV also offers a full suite of digital signage options, including a local weather widget that can appear anywhere on your screens. Offering entertainment, information and weather has never been so easy - and it's all for free.

Many organizations around the world commonly share local weather updates and forecasts on digital screens to enhance audience engagement with useful content. Weather is an essential piece of information that should always be readily available.

Although mobile home screens show live weather updates, adding weather feeds to digital signage can make it more visually appealing while also providing necessary information and entertainment.

Many digital signage owners are uncertain about how to display live weather feeds on their screens. This article is an eye-opener for such ones. Now you can display live feeds using free weather widgets, RSS feeds, or API keys.