Windows 11 Weather App RAM Usage: Why It Eats 1GB+

Open the Weather app on Windows 11, glance at the forecast, and you might notice your system suddenly feeling sluggish. That's because Microsoft's built-in MSN Weather app has been caught consuming more than 1GB of RAM—sometimes up to 1.2GB—just to display a few temperature numbers. The finding, reported by Windows Latest and picked up by TechPowerUp, Tom's Hardware, and OMG! Ubuntu, highlights a growing frustration with the bloat in Microsoft's default applications.

Windows 11 Weather App RAM: Why It's So High

The short answer: it's not really an app. MSN Weather is a web wrapper built on Microsoft's WebView2 framework, which is powered by the same Chromium engine that runs Microsoft Edge. When you open the app, you're essentially launching a hidden browser session. In Task Manager, the app spawns up to eight Chromium-based subprocesses—each consuming memory for rendering, JavaScript, and background tasks. That's why a simple weather display can balloon to nearly 1.2GB of RAM even when you're not interacting with it.

This isn't an isolated case. Microsoft has adopted WebView2 for many of its built-in apps, and the taskbar's news-and-weather widgets have been criticized for similar memory hogging. The trade-off is clear: web technologies allow for rapid development and cross-platform consistency, but they come at the cost of efficiency.

Comparing RAM Usage: Windows 11 vs macOS vs Linux

The contrast with other operating systems is stark. Apple's native Weather app on macOS consumes about 250MB of RAM—roughly five times less than Windows—and it's completely ad-free. On Linux, the GNOME Weather app does the same job for under a fifth of the reported Windows figure, while the Mousam app (a popular choice among Linux users) uses about a third of Microsoft's memory footprint. These aren't scientific benchmarks, but they illustrate a clear pattern: native apps are far more efficient than web wrappers.

It's worth noting that not every Windows 11 user will see 1.2GB usage. One writer at OMG! Ubuntu reported seeing over 900MB on a low-power Chuwi laptop, so the exact number varies. But even 900MB is excessive for a weather app.

The Ad Problem in Windows 11 Weather App

Beyond the RAM drain, MSN Weather is filled with sponsored content and ads. Microsoft's approach has been described as "billboard-first, functionality-second"—a design philosophy that prioritizes ad revenue over user experience. This is particularly galling because Windows 11 is a paid operating system. Users are essentially paying for the privilege of seeing ads in a built-in utility.

Apple's macOS Weather app, by contrast, is ad-free. Linux apps like GNOME Weather and Mousam are also free of promotional content. The only reason Microsoft can justify this is that accurate weather data isn't cheap—the app pulls from providers like Foreca—but that doesn't excuse the ad-laden interface.

Impact on Low-RAM Systems

Microsoft recently removed documentation recommending 32GB of RAM for new PCs, instead emphasizing that 8GB devices are optimized to run Windows 11 smoothly. But on an 8GB system, the Weather app alone consumes about 15% of available memory. That's before you open a browser, a word processor, or any other application.

On machines with modest memory, opening the Weather app can trigger memory pressure. Windows first compresses RAM, then falls back to the page file, which can lead to noticeable sluggishness. High-end gaming rigs won't feel a thing, but budget laptops and older desktops will suffer.

How to Reduce Weather App RAM Usage

If you're on a low-RAM device and want to reclaim that memory, here are some actionable steps:

• Disable the weather widget: Right-click the taskbar, select "News and Interests," and choose "Turn off." This stops the widget from running in the background.
• Uninstall the MSN Weather app: Open PowerShell as Administrator and run Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.BingWeather* | Remove-AppxPackage. This removes the app entirely.
• Use a lightweight alternative: Pin a weather website to your taskbar or install a native third-party app from the Microsoft Store that doesn't rely on WebView2.

These steps can free up significant memory, especially on systems with 8GB or less.

A Symptom of a Larger Issue

The Weather app's RAM usage is a microcosm of the broader criticism facing Windows 11. Tom's Hardware notes that years of neglect, bloat, and ads have pushed Microsoft to admit missteps and commit to fixing the OS. But small issues like this matter. When a built-in utility consumes more memory than a full-fledged browser, it signals a deeper problem with how Microsoft approaches app development.

Microsoft has said it's committed to optimizing Windows 11, but so far, the Weather app remains a glaring example of inefficiency. Until the company rethinks its use of WebView2 for simple utilities, users on low-RAM devices will continue to pay the price—both in memory and in ads.