Windows 11 Weather app RAM is under fire for consuming a startling amount of system memory, over 1.2GB just to show a forecast, according to new testing. That’s a strange amount of overhead for what should be a simple utility, and the reason comes down to how the app is actually built under the hood.
How Much RAM Does the Weather App Really Use
Windows Latest’s testing found the Weather app can consume more than 1.2GB of memory almost immediately after launch, without any heavy user interaction involved. A separate breakdown of that same testing showed usage starting around 1GB at launch, settling to roughly 500 to 600MB while sitting idle, and then spiking to as high as 1.5 to 1.6GB once a user starts zooming into radar maps or navigating between screens.
On a machine with 8GB of total RAM, the Weather app alone can account for close to 20 percent of available memory, a meaningful chunk for a system already working with limited resources. That figure carries extra weight given Microsoft’s own recent messaging around memory. The company had previously recommended 32GB of RAM for new PC builds, but recently removed that documentation and now emphasizes that 8GB devices are optimized to run Windows 11 smoothly, a claim that becomes harder to square with a background weather widget eating a fifth of that memory.
Why the Weather App Uses So Much Memory
The root issue is architectural. Despite looking like a native Windows utility, the Weather app is essentially MSN Weather repackaged inside Microsoft’s WebView2 framework, meaning it renders content using the same Chromium engine that powers Microsoft Edge. Testers who expanded the app’s process tree in Task Manager found nine separate Chromium-based sub-processes running simultaneously behind what’s supposed to be a lightweight utility, with each process carrying its own memory overhead.
Independent testing from OMG! Ubuntu observed similar behavior on a low-power laptop, recording memory usage north of 900MB for the Windows Weather app during active use. By comparison, GNOME Weather on Ubuntu used around 160MB, and a cross-platform Qt-based weather app used roughly 240 to 250MB for the same task, putting Windows’ figure at three to five times higher than comparable Linux weather apps.
How Windows Compares to macOS and Linux
The memory gap is most stark against Apple’s native offering. Apple’s Weather app on macOS is reported to use less than 250MB of RAM under similar conditions, giving Windows’ implementation a memory footprint roughly five times larger for essentially the same task. Independent readings taken on both an Intel-based iMac and an Apple Silicon MacBook Pro placed macOS Weather’s usage between 90MB and 250MB depending on hardware, still well below the Windows figure across the board.
It’s worth noting these comparisons aren’t perfectly apples-to-apples. Different operating systems manage memory differently, and Microsoft’s Weather app pulls in more granular data, including live radar overlays, hourly wind and precipitation breakdowns, air quality index, and moon phase tracking, which does require sourcing data from multiple providers. One tester at TechPowerUp even noted that opening a browser tab for a comparable weather website consumed a similar amount of memory to the app itself, suggesting the underlying web-based approach, not just the Weather app specifically, is the real driver of the overhead.
Ads in a Paid Operating System
Beyond the memory usage, the app has also drawn criticism for including advertisements despite running on a paid operating system. Testers reported seeing ads for services like Adobe Acrobat, LendingTree, and Spotify while simply checking the forecast, prompting frustration that a built-in system utility on licensed software carries third-party promotional content at all.
What Microsoft Is Reportedly Planning
Microsoft has said it’s committed to updating its native Windows 11 apps to move away from older UWP and Win32 frameworks toward its newer WinUI framework, which should improve optimization, though it remains unclear whether MSN-branded apps like Weather and MSN News are included in that effort, or whether the advertisements would disappear as part of any rebuild. Reports suggest low-memory optimizations for the Weather app specifically are being planned, potentially moving it toward a more native implementation by late 2026, though Microsoft hasn’t confirmed a firm timeline.
How to Reduce the Weather App’s Memory Impact Today
For users on memory-constrained hardware who don’t want to wait for an official fix, the most direct workaround is disabling the Weather widget from running in the background through Windows 11’s settings, or uninstalling the app entirely in favor of a lighter third-party alternative. Since the high memory usage is tied to the app actively rendering content, closing it fully rather than leaving it minimized in the background should also help reclaim the memory it was using.
Broader Implications
Cases like this highlight a broader tension in modern operating systems between feature-rich, web-based app design and genuine resource efficiency, especially as PC makers continue shipping devices with lower base memory configurations. For more consumer tech coverage, visit The Tech Marketer.
What Happens Next
Microsoft hasn’t issued an official statement addressing the Weather app’s memory usage as of this writing, and no confirmed release date exists for a more efficient, native version of the app. This article will be updated if Microsoft responds or ships an update addressing the issue.
Latest Updates
TechPowerUp’s report, based on Windows Latest’s original testing, was published within hours of the initial findings on August 9. OMG! Ubuntu’s independent memory comparison across Windows, macOS, and Linux weather apps was published the same day. Tom’s Hardware’s report, published August 10, added detail on the app’s Chromium sub-process structure and Microsoft’s broader native-app rebuild plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much RAM does the Windows 11 Weather app actually use?
Testing found it can exceed 1.2GB at launch, settle around 500 to 600MB while idle, and spike to 1.5 to 1.6GB during interactions like zooming into radar maps.
2. Why does the Weather app use so much memory?
It’s built using Microsoft’s WebView2 framework, which renders the app as a web page using the Chromium engine, rather than as a fully native Windows application, resulting in multiple Chromium sub-processes running simultaneously.
3. How does this compare to the weather app on macOS?
Apple’s native macOS Weather app uses roughly 250MB of RAM or less, making the Windows app’s memory usage about five times higher for comparable functionality.
4. Is Microsoft planning to fix the Weather app’s memory usage?
Reports suggest Microsoft is planning low-memory optimizations, potentially including a more native implementation, though no confirmed release date has been announced.
5. How can I reduce the Weather app’s memory usage right now?
Disabling the Weather widget from running in the background through Windows 11 settings, or uninstalling it in favor of a lighter third-party weather app, are the most direct workarounds available today.
Sources and References
- “Windows 11’s Built-In Weather App Wastes More Than 1 GB of RAM,” TechPowerUp, August 9, 2026 (content verified via search due to a robots.txt restriction on direct fetch) — https://www.techpowerup.com/351478/windows-11s-built-in-weather-app-wastes-more-than-1-gb-of-ram
- Joey Sneddon, “Windows’ Weather App Uses Obscene Memory – Are Linux Apps Better?” OMG! Ubuntu, August 9, 2026 — https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/08/linux-vs-windows-weather-app-ram
- Hassam Nasir, “Windows 11’s Built-In Weather App Hogs More Than 1.2 Gigabytes of RAM Just to Tell the Forecast,” Tom’s Hardware, August 10, 2026 — https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/windows-11s-built-in-weather-app-hogs-more-than-1-2-gigabytes-of-ram-just-to-tell-the-forecast-memory-sucking-web-wrapper-filled-with-ads-masquerades-as-an-actual-application
