Buying guide for best weather stations
Besides getting accurate, up-to-the-second, hyperlocal data that directly affects you, weather monitoring technology makes your smart home even smarter by paying attention to what is happening outside of your home as well. For instance, does your automatic sprinkler system really need to turn on in the middle of a rainstorm?
The best weather station for you will be the one that provides the type of information you seek. Many homeowners are only interested in the basics, such as temperatures, humidity, wind speed and rainfall. However, some models also measure solar radiation, air quality and more. The high-end stations can even provide a customized weather forecast.
Our top pick for a weather station is the Ambient Weather Smart Weather Station. It offers a convenient pole-mount so you can place it anywhere to monitor everything from rainfall to solar radiation. Its enhanced Wi-Fi provides a reliable connection for data transmission. However, if budget is your primary concern, the La Crosse Technology Weather Station gives you many desirable features, including a graphic display of the weather, at a wallet-friendly price.
Our list: The best weather stations
Whatever your weather interests are, you can take them further with this smart weather station. The sensor array mounts easily to a pole and provides data on wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, solar radiation, barometric pressure, temperature, humidity and more on a crisp display. If you want to go beyond the typical, this unit also calculates dew point, wind chill and heat index. Although the unit's primary power source is a solar panel, it can also be powered by three AAA batteries as a backup source.
This budget offering doesn’t skimp on the features. It monitors temperature and humidity with customizable alerts for each. The large, colorful graphics display has an adjustable backlight so you can easily read it in all environments. The dynamic forecast icons feature tendency arrows to help you plan your day with confidence. This wireless model has a 330-foot Wi-Fi range and self-setting atomic time and date.
Using the tools in this weather station, you can forecast hyperlocal weather 12 hours out from your current conditions. It is easy to set up, just install the batteries and place the outdoor weather sensor on a pole using the included mounting hardware. The wide array of sensors transmits 25 data points and the unit provides weather threshold alerts so you are always aware of attention-worthy conditions. The alerts can be customized to your specific needs, and you can track monthly highs and lows to monitor weather tendencies and patterns.
Some people do not need or want a complex system that provides a variety of data. They might only be interested in the temperature and humidity. If so, this is the ideal model. It provides indoor temperature and humidity readings along with outdoor temperatures. The unit also records high-temperature and low-temperature records, along with a time and date stamp. If you decide you want to expand the system, you can add up to three temperature and humidity sensors as well as a wireless rain bucket.
This model is another very basic, entry-level weather station. It is a no-frills option that’s easy to use and affordable. It comes with one indoor sensor to measure temperature and humidity and three outdoor remote sensors that offer the same. If you wish to expand your coverage, this model can monitor up to eight remote sensors to deliver temperature and humidity data. If the temperature or humidity goes beyond your preset minimum or maximum levels, the unit offers both visual and audible alerts.
This weather station has a rain collector, wind cups, a wind vane, a solar panel and a thermo hygrometer to monitor and record a variety of outdoor weather data. The indoor monitors include temperature and humidity. It features a large color display with crisp graphics. Beyond weather basics, this station gives you dew point data, tracks the moon's phase and offers customizable alerts for wind gusts, “feels-like” temperature and more. The forecast feature estimates weather changes that may occur over the next 24 to 48 hours.
Newentor is an affordable weather station that features a large, bright and colorful screen. It can monitor and display temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, moon phases and more. Like other models, it has customizable alarms so you can be alerted when the weather conditions move to extremes. The forecasting feature gives you predictions of hyperlocal weather up to 24 hours in advance. To preserve battery life, it has two power modes and an adjustable backlight.
This popular weather station has been featured in a number of media outlets. It is notable for its lack of moving parts and minimal maintenance. The AI-powered app, personal weather webpage and direct link to Weather Underground are all desirable features that help make the higher price a better value. This model monitors and records a wide variety of weather-related data, including temperature, solar radiation, humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, dew point, lightning strikes, rainfall and more.
Davis Instruments offers another high-end weather station option. It is a self-contained system that includes an expansive integrated sensor suite, an LCD console and mounting hardware. While the screen is a little cluttered, once you get comfortable reading it, you can take in a variety of information at a glance. Besides live data, which is updated every 2.5 seconds, it gives you graphs, trends, totals and more. You also get the wind chill temperature, moon phase, sunrise/sunset times and more.
Basic vs. advanced weather stations
Basic weather stations
These mostly provide the bare essentials when it comes to weather data, including information about ambient air temperature, humidity level, wind speed, precipitation amounts and barometric pressure. The measurements are taken at a single outdoor station and transmitted to an indoor display. For casual users who seek basic information in order to plan outdoor activities or dress appropriately, or beginner hobbyists, basic weather stations are usually quite adequate.
Advanced weather stations
These go beyond the basics. Some include a wireless system with Internet access, while others feature a special weather camera that allows owners to observe cloud formations and other conditions from the comfort of home. Advanced weather stations have many applications. For example, a gardener can use real-time data to plan a maintenance schedule based on soil moisture. A farmer can use an advanced station’s multiple data zones to make important watering and planting decisions. And an outdoor enthusiast can schedule activities based on solar radiation levels.
Conveniently, many of these mid-range models are expandable, meaning that a customer could get a basic weather array for a three-zone configuration, and then get additional types of sensors to build on the basic model.
- Commercial weather stations, largely intended for scientific or pecuniary use, are the most sophisticated of all. Numerous gauges are measured electronically, and the data is typically downloaded to a dedicated computer for analysis.
The cost of a pro-grade weather station can be prohibitive for the average consumer. Nevertheless, users with a passion for meteorology may want to invest in a high-end weather station to satisfy their scientific curiosity.
Wired vs. wireless weather stations
All weather stations need a way to deliver sensor data to a screen, personal computer or handheld device for convenient monitoring. Some accomplish this through a hardwired system that’s buried in the ground or strung along exterior walls. Others use a wireless system consisting of a transmitter (in the weather array), and a receiver (in the home base). Both systems have their own benefits and drawbacks.
Benefits of a wired system: The data gleaned from a wired system may be more accurate, and you’ll never have to worry about losing your information due to the connectivity issues of wireless systems. Additional installation effort is required, however, and some owners say their wired system’s range is limited. In addition, there’s always the chance that the wires could get damaged by weather exposure.
Benefits of a wireless system: A wireless system can be located hundreds of meters from its base unit without the risk of information loss. When used in a multiple-zone configuration, one sensor can be buried in a distant field, another near a swimming pool, and the main array can be mounted on a roof or garage.
Advanced systems with Wi-Fi capability can also be monitored remotely with an appropriate weather mobile app. This kind of mobility is quite convenient. For instance, a gardener equipped with a smart sprinkler system and a wireless hygrometer sensor can turn on the water remotely after reading the soil’s moisture level.
Since many manufacturers offer a special website for data collection and real-time updates, the ideal weather station should feature Wi-Fi or modem connectivity.
Setting up a personal weather station at home is an affordable alternative to relying on a commercial weather station. Commercial weather stations are often located in remote locations, such as an airport, and can only provide general readings for a large coverage area. Home-based weather stations are a great addition for those who have a general interest in meteorology or need specific information for gardening projects or other weather-related activities.
Data displays
Some weather station data screens provide only one measurement at a time, requiring the user to toggle through several screens to get what they want. Others display all of the data at once. Some people like this “everything at once” approach, but for others, it’s an overwhelming amount of information and unnecessary clutter. Notably, more advanced weather stations offer small smartphone-like displays that include real-time updates and animations. When choosing a display screen, there’s also the question of color versus black and white. For some weather fans, a color display is much easier to read, and certain weather data like heat maps come across as more expressive in their representation.
Maintenance
While the ideal weather station for many people would be a “plug and play” model that requires no maintenance, your attention may be needed from time to time.
- The machine’s moving parts (like the wind meter) may require regular adjustments.
- The connection between the weather station and the monitor could become disrupted at times. You may occasionally need to repair a connection or replace a wire.
- Given the complexity and amount of data usually handled between the sensors and the processors, the software that operates on the raw data can sometimes crash, thereby necessitating a hard reboot or firmware upgrade.
Accuracy
Entry-level and bargain-priced weather stations fare worse in lab tests than their scientific counterparts when it comes to accuracy. The climate you live in can also affect the precision of your weather station’s measurements. For example, daytime readings for ambient air temperature and rainfall tend to show as higher than average in warmer climates. Accuracy can also be affected by the condition of the sensor wires or debris in the weather station’s housing.
FAQ
Q. How much does a weather station cost?
A. If you just want a basic weather station, you can find what you need for under $50. For a high-end, bells-and-whistles model, you can expect to pay over $250. The average consumer who is serious about tracking the weather, however, will most likely be happy with a station in roughly the $80 to $150 price range.
Q. Is assembly required?
A. Basic weather stations typically require no assembly, but some do need a bit of mechanical attention before they can be mounted.
Q. How weather-resistant is the device?
A. Although many weather stations are designed to resist the damaging effects of wind, rain and soil, some require extra protection.
Q. Can a weather station be calibrated to support devices and data sources?
A. It is possible to calibrate weather station sensors to match the readings of another weather instrument, but it can be a difficult task. Some models allow users to “zero out” previous rainfall measurements, or adjust the gauges to match a weather channel’s more scientific numbers.
Q. Where should a weather station be mounted or stored?
A. Many basic models are self-contained and made of lightweight, weather-resistant materials. As such, many people choose to attach their weather station to an exterior wall, tree or post.
