When Googling Weather Isn't Enough: Building a Calendar-Integrated Weather App
Weather is one of the most important things we track as humans—right up there with water and health. But what if your weather app could actually help you plan, not just inform?
From Class Assignment to Personal Need
In one of my frontend UX engineering classes at Duke, my professor Emmanuel Iyabola was helping us explore Next.js app architecture and the use of APIs. We had this application to interact with—a minimalist Next.js weather app that he had developed.
We were supposed to be tweaking it, cleaning it up, learning the fundamentals. But I took things further. Because I realized something frustrating about my daily life.
The Problem I Lived Every Day:
Even though I had a calendar on my phone, even though I had a weather app on my phone, even though I could see the date—I still found myself Googling the weather forecast every time I traveled to a different city, even within the US.
Sometimes I didn't even know how a city would look during winter. I'd ask myself: "What if I could take this to the next level? What if, while learning about Next.js, Vercel deployment, and analytics integration, I built something I'd actually use?"
That's where the idea started. And I'm grateful for what we have now—a weather app that my professor, in his own words, said "I can't wait to use this app as well."
Why Standard Weather Apps Fall Short
Standard weather apps provide generic forecasts without context. They tell you it'll be 60°F on Wednesday. Great. But they don't answer the questions that actually matter:
❓ "What will the weather be like when I have my 3 PM outdoor meeting?"
❓ "Should I plan my trip for next Tuesday based on timezone differences?"
❓ "What does 'partly cloudy' mean for my morning run vs. my evening event?"
❓ "How do I connect this weather data to my actual schedule?"
As someone who travels between cities—whether for conferences, meetings, or personal trips—I needed a weather app that didn't just tell me the temperature. I needed one that helped me plan my day around it.
Building a Weather App That Actually Plans
While learning about Next.js deployment on platforms like Vercel and Microsoft VS Code, while exploring analytics integration and API architecture, I built something more than a class project. I built a tool I genuinely use.
The Two Core Features That Changed Everything:
1. Calendar Integration
A dedicated /calendar view integrated into the primary navigation. This isn't just a weather app with a calendar icon—it's weather data linked directly to scheduled events and future dates.
You're not just seeing "Thursday will be rainy." You're seeing "Your Thursday afternoon meeting will be during scattered showers with 65% humidity."
2. Time & Timezone Awareness
Essential weather details coupled with current timezone data and granular time-of-day forecasts. This addresses the exact pain point I experienced: static daily forecasts that don't account for when you're actually in that city or what time of day you need to plan for.
When I'm traveling from Durham to New York, I don't just need to know it'll be cold—I need to know what the weather will be like when my train arrives at 2 PM EST.
From Class Project to Production App
Building this app while learning Next.js was like learning to swim by jumping in the deep end—challenging, but incredibly rewarding. Here's what the journey looked like:
What I Started With
- • Professor's minimalist weather app template
- • Basic Next.js knowledge from class
- • Understanding of API integration
- • A real problem I wanted to solve
What I Built
- • Production-ready Next.js application
- • Calendar-weather integration system
- • Timezone-aware forecasting
- • Dark/light mode theming
- • Vercel deployment with analytics
I learned to set up a Next.js application from scratch. I learned to push code to Vercel and watch it automatically build and deploy. I learned to integrate Vercel Analytics to understand how people actually use the app.
But more importantly, I learned that the best products come from solving your own problems. Every feature in this app exists because I personally needed it.
How I Built It
I built this app using modern web technologies optimized for performance, type safety, and seamless deployment. The stack reflects what I was learning in class and what I researched independently to make the app production-ready.
Tech Stack:
- Framework: Next.js with TypeScript for server-side rendering and type safety
- Styling: CSS Modules for component-scoped styling and theme switching
- API Integration: Weather API for real-time forecasts and timezone data
- Deployment: Vercel for automatic deployments and edge optimization
- Analytics: Vercel Analytics for user behavior insights
- Development: VS Code with ESLint and Prettier for code quality
- Version Control: GitHub for source control and collaboration
"I learned that production-ready doesn't mean perfect. It means solving a real problem reliably enough that people—including your professor—want to use it."
Minimalism as a Feature, Not a Constraint
The app's minimalistic design wasn't just an aesthetic choice—it was intentional problem-solving. I wanted to create something that felt simple and elegant, but packed with functionality.
Simple Navigation
Three core links: Home, Search, Calendar. No clutter. No confusion. Everything you need is one click away.
Quick City Selection
Pre-selected cities (Durham, New York, Tokyo, Accra, Lausanne, Santorini) for instant access. Global search for everything else.
User Preferences
Dark/light mode toggle and Celsius/Fahrenheit switching. Your preferences, your way.
Clean Branding
"Simple weather forecast for your city" + Footer: "Made with ❤️ by @theoriginalmapd"
What This Project Taught Me
1. Build What You'll Actually Use
The best indicator that you're solving a real problem? You use your own solution daily. I check this app every morning. I use it when planning trips. My professor uses it. That validation matters more than any grade.
2. Context is Everything
Weather data without time and calendar context is just numbers. Integrating timezone awareness and calendar planning transformed static forecasts into actionable insights. Information becomes valuable when it helps you decide.
3. Minimalism Requires Discipline
It's tempting to add features. But every element in this app serves a purpose. Saying "no" to feature bloat and "yes" to simplicity was one of the hardest design decisions—and the most rewarding.
4. Learning by Building Works
I learned more about Next.js, TypeScript, Vercel deployment, and API integration by building this app than I would have from just following tutorials. Real problems force real learning.
5. Teachers Notice Good Work
When my professor said he couldn't wait to use the app, that meant more than any A grade. It meant I'd built something genuinely useful. That's the real measure of success.
Who This App Serves
This isn't for everyone—and that's okay. It's specifically designed for people who need quick, precise, and schedule-aware weather information:
Frequent Travelers
People moving between cities and timezones who need weather forecasts aligned to local time and their arrival schedules
Event Planners
Anyone scheduling outdoor events, meetings, or activities who needs to integrate weather with calendar dates
Outdoor Enthusiasts
Runners, hikers, photographers who need granular time-of-day forecasts for their activities
Final Thoughts
What started as a class assignment—tweaking a professor's weather app template—became something I use every single day. And that transformation happened because I stopped seeing it as just an assignment and started seeing it as a real problem I could solve.
Weather apps are everywhere. Calendars are ubiquitous. But somehow, connecting the two—giving people weather forecasts that actually help them plan their days—that gap existed. And I filled it.
I'm grateful for what we built. I'm grateful my professor believed in pushing us beyond the assignment. And I'm grateful that this app is now something real people use—including him.
Sometimes the best projects come from asking: "What if I could take this to the next level?"
Try the Weather App
Experience the minimalistic weather app that integrates time, timezone, and calendar with weather forecasts—making planning practical and intuitive.