Weather station for year-round usage

[Ashful]

I’m tired of getting bad data from weather apps, and having a sight-glass rain gauge that can only be left out in warm weather. I think it’s time to invest in one of the rooftop mounted weather stations I’ve heard others mention, but I’m completely new to the subject, really know nothing about them. Where to start?

 

[NHWS]

The Weather Underground's buying guide at https://www.wunderground.com/pws/buying-guide is a decent starting place.

 

[gthomas785]

Davis and LaCrosse were the kings of the industry 10 years ago. Don't know much about the newer brands that have popped up.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Hasn’t been wrong yet!

 

[NHWS]

Never used anything by Davis. I had a LaCrosse station perhaps a decade ago. Never too satisfied with it. Currently using an Ambient Weather station that I like better. There are better ones available, but they are more expensive. I'm using additional sensors to check northern and southern sides of the house, plus some more in various places indoors.

 

[kborndale]

I've been using this since 2016, been quite happy with it. There may be a newer version of it now.

Amazon product ASIN B011VG6YMO

 

[semipro]

We have the Ambient Weather WS-2902B and it's worked well for several years now.
What I like: solar powered, wireless between sensor station and base and between base and internet by Wi-Fi to my router.
Downsides: really the only one I've found so far is that you need to clean the rainfall sensor out as it collects detritus from trees and such. I'd mount it where you can easily get to it for that.
A really cool feature is that you can share your weather data online to sites like Wunderground and others.
In our area in the mountains, microclimate effects are important when determining potential crop damage and road slipperiness so having more data point granularity is really helpful.
Also, if you weren't aware, you can get local forecasts based on citizen weather stations in apps like Wunderground. E.g, map shot below:

 

[stovexxx]

I remember a cupboard, when I was little: when a cat rubs its face with its paws, it's coming to rain

 

[begreen]

I've had a Davis Vantage Pro for about 15 yrs. It's not flashy, but it is often used by pros. The outdoor unit needed a rebuild about 4 yrs ago.
One thing about having the unit on the roof. If there are nearby trees, the rain bucket can accumulate debris and that can deteriorate and eventually plug the little hole at the bottom. I created a separate screen which helps, but with our nearby trees, an annual cleaning or more has been necessary. Now it is lower to where I can service it which is poor for wind measurement, but I'm not supposed to be scrambling around on roofs anymore. I also use the Weather Underground site to compare with other local stations in our community for more detail on wind conditions.

 

[Ashful]

How do these units work for getting an accurate temperature, when mounted above a searing-hot roof? I've been watching how the sun casts shadows from sunrise to sunset, and I have one always-shady location right outside my front door, which could be ideal for hiding a small inconspicuous thermocouple or sensor for a wireless thermometer. Debating just doing this, and then something separate for rain water, over doing the full integrated weather station up the roof, for a few reasons.

 

[begreen]

The thermometer sensor is isolated under a ventilated shade cover. It worked pretty well on our roof as compared with temp reading on our porch. Of course, any roof heat that is radiated up in the winter might influence it a bit. Ours was on an offset pole to that it was located about 18" above the roof so the influence was minimal.

 

[NHWS]

The white ventilated shade cover works pretty well to avoid direct solar heating.

Depending on the thermal loss from the wall, places close to the house could read overly-high temps. Thermals off a dark surface can also be a problem.

Wind shadows from nearby obstacles can also be an issue. The rough rule of thumb is that the minimum horizontal distance from an obstacle that is higher than the anemometer is 1.5 * the difference in height.

I tried a few locations for my Ambient station, and ended up with a 16" pole in a clear area at close to the limit of the wireless connection away from the base unit. Somewhere around 50' away. The pole is hinged on its mount to allow the (semi-annual, if I remember it) cleaning of the rainfall sensor.

It's just an inexpensive home weather station. I don't expect professional-level accuracy from mine.

 

[Ashful]

I actually have an electrical panel installed in the back yard, near the pool, upon which I could mount a weather station. It'd only be 4 feet above the ground, but might be better than atop a 150F roof.

Likewise, I also have electric mounted on a tree in our lower yard, feeding some receptacles and landscape lighting down there. A good 200+ feet from any structure, if the WiFi is strong enough to carry the distance.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I’d vote the tree if possible. There’s less chance of getting faulty measurements from thermal mass from structures.

 

[Ashful]

I’d vote the tree if possible. There’s less chance of getting faulty measurements from thermal mass from structures.

There's a catch I guess I failed to mention. Said tree is a mature Ash!

I've been treating my ash with Zylam each spring, basal trunk spray with surfactant. All but the largest (a behemoth at 30" DBH) seem to be holding up with relatively minor die-back.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I’d be injecting if with systemics. Probably neonicotinoids.

 

[Ashful]

I’d be injecting if with systemics. Probably neonicotinoids.

Yep. Zylam is a systemic, just one of the several name brands for dinotefurin. Safari is another, but more difficult to mix.

 

[semipro]

Likewise, I also have electric mounted on a tree in our lower yard, feeding some receptacles and landscape lighting down there. A good 200+ feet from any structure, if the WiFi is strong enough to carry the distance.

The motion of the tree in winds may create some issues for the unit.
The distance may be too much of a stretch for Wi-Fi also without directional antennas.

 

[joop]

i use my window more accurate

 

[Ashful]

i use my window more accurate

Your window tells you how much cumulative rain you've had over the last week, so you can adjust your irrigation system, and what the wind speed, consistency, and direction are so you can decide when it's time to head out for sailing?

 

[joop]

nah,just tells me if i should have another coffee or not

 

[mellow]

Have you checked out Tempest? https://tempest.earth/tempest-home-weather-system/

You get a public webpage like this: https://tempestwx.com/station/65907/

 

[Ashful]

Have you checked out Tempest? https://tempest.earth/tempest-home-weather-system/

You get a public webpage like this: https://tempestwx.com/station/65907/

Two of my primary reasons for considering a weather station are:

1. Our local conditions often disagree with what's being reported by all apps and web sites, and in fact often these sites and apps disagree with one another on current conditions. It's quite common for me to look outside at rain, and then check any given web site or app and have it tell me it's currently sunny. Likewise, various weather sites might call outdoor temperature at 34F, when every one of our cars reports 28F from the onboard thermometer.

2. None of them do a good job of reporting rain totals for recently-past weather. Part of this is that things vary a lot over just a mile or three.

 

[mellow]

Both of those reasons are solved with installing a tempest weather station in your backyard.

 

[begreen]

I’d vote the tree if possible. There’s less chance of getting faulty measurements from thermal mass from structures.

Honestly, it's not that big of a temperature influence. Ours was off the side of the shed roof and tracked well with a friend's that is out in the vineyard close by. Up in a tree will be poor for wind readings if there is an anemometer and will likely fill the rain bucket with debris.