Inconsistent precipitation data in Apple Weather—am I reading this wrong?

Can someone explain why the “Total for the day” precipitation value in the Apple Weather app never matches the detailed “Precipitation Totals” shown on the same screen? For example, for my location tomorrow, the app shows a Total for the day of 0.6" with some snow expected. But the Precipitation Totals section lists 4–5" of snow and 0.1" of wintry mix. These numbers don’t align—what am I missing?

iPhone 15, iOS 18

Posted on Dec 1, 2025 7:33 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 1, 2025 8:35 PM

ChatGPT says:


Here’s the breakdown:



1. “Total for the day” = Liquid equivalent


Apple reports precipitation totals in inches of liquid water, regardless of whether the sky drops rain, snow, hail, or frozen mystery bits.


So 0.6” is the amount of water you’d have if all the day’s snow and sleet melted.



2. “Precipitation Totals” for snow = Depth of snow, not liquid


Snow is fluffy (well, usually), so 4–5 inches of snow does NOT equal 4–5 inches of water.


Typical conversion:


  • 1 inch of water = 10 inches of snow (standard ratio)
  • But it can vary widely depending on how wet or dry the snow is (5:1 to 15:1 and beyond).


Given your numbers:


  • 4–5” of snow likely melts down to 0.4–0.5” of water.
  • 0.1” wintry mix adds to the total.
  • That gets you right around 0.5–0.6” of liquid… matching the 0.6” “Total for the day.”




2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 1, 2025 8:35 PM in response to J-20-08

ChatGPT says:


Here’s the breakdown:



1. “Total for the day” = Liquid equivalent


Apple reports precipitation totals in inches of liquid water, regardless of whether the sky drops rain, snow, hail, or frozen mystery bits.


So 0.6” is the amount of water you’d have if all the day’s snow and sleet melted.



2. “Precipitation Totals” for snow = Depth of snow, not liquid


Snow is fluffy (well, usually), so 4–5 inches of snow does NOT equal 4–5 inches of water.


Typical conversion:


  • 1 inch of water = 10 inches of snow (standard ratio)
  • But it can vary widely depending on how wet or dry the snow is (5:1 to 15:1 and beyond).


Given your numbers:


  • 4–5” of snow likely melts down to 0.4–0.5” of water.
  • 0.1” wintry mix adds to the total.
  • That gets you right around 0.5–0.6” of liquid… matching the 0.6” “Total for the day.”




Inconsistent precipitation data in Apple Weather—am I reading this wrong?

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