How the forecast stays current
A drive fetches its forecast when you open it and refreshes while it stays open. Nothing updates in the background, so open the drive again before you leave.
- APPLIES TO
- ALL DEVICES
- KIND
- CONCEPT
- UPDATED
- 30 SEP 2026
When a drive refreshes
The forecast behind a drive is updated about once an hour at the source, and each section is forecast for the moment you will reach it. A drive fetches its forecast when you open it, then keeps it current for as long as it stays open and the app is in front.
While a drive is open, it refreshes when its forecast is ten minutes old. The foot of the timeline says when it was last updated, such as UPDATED NOW, with a Refresh button to fetch it again at once. After ten minutes without a refresh it reads “Forecast may be out of date”.
The same as on iPhone: a drive refreshes itself while it is open, and the foot of the timeline has Refresh and the time of the last update.
While a drive is on screen, it checks every minute and fetches again when its forecast is ten minutes old. The Drives list does the same for the upcoming drives you can see. The foot of the timeline says when it was last updated, such as UPDATED 5 MIN AGO. Once a drive has ended, it shows the forecast it had when you last loaded it, marked “Saved departure forecast”.
The web planner fetches a drive’s forecast once, when you plan it or open it. To see a newer forecast, open the drive again from DRIVES.
Refreshing continues until you arrive, so a drive that is under way keeps its later sections current.
At busy moments a forecast can wait its turn for a minute or two before it arrives. The app says “Lots of drivers are planning right now, so your forecast is waiting its turn.” and fills in the drive when it comes.
What can change
- A section’s rating. Rain can arrive earlier or later than forecast, and a section can move from CAUTION to HAZARD overnight.
- The sections themselves. Sections follow the weather, so when the weather moves, their number and where they begin can change too.
- The timing. Driving times come from a route that allows for traffic, so arrival times can shift.
Nothing updates in the background
The app does not refresh drives while it is closed, and it does not notify you when a forecast changes. The list shows each drive’s rating as of the last time it was loaded.
Without a connection
The apps keep the last forecast of each saved drive on the device, so a drive opened without a connection still shows its sections and timeline — without the route drawn on the map. That copy lasts until the drive’s arrival, or a day after it was fetched, whichever comes first. After that the drive says so — Forecast out of date on iPhone, iPad and Mac, “Forecast out of date. This weather is no longer current.” on Android — and the Drives list stops showing its rating. When a refresh fails on iPhone, iPad or Mac, the drive keeps its earlier forecast and says “Couldn’t refresh. Showing the previous forecast.”
The web planner keeps no forecasts. A drive you plan without a connection is still saved in the browser — the planner says “Saved on this device. Its forecast loads when you’re back online.” — and its forecast loads by itself once you are. A page of the website opened without a connection shows a read-only list of the drives that browser holds for the account last signed in there.
The briefing has its own clock
A briefing is written for the forecast at the time you asked for it. After five minutes the app says it may be out of date and offers Refresh briefing. The briefing has the detail.
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