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Invest in a Weather Station to Save Energy and Money

Home weather station

For budding weather enthusiasts and people who want to make darn sure they’re getting the right predictions, there are home weather stations – I was really impressed with this breakdown and the reasoning to invest in one.

After all, you can’t trust the news 100%!

Remember when the weatherman said it would be nice today. But boy, was he wrong. So frustrating.
But why are these trained meteorologists so often incorrect? And when we say ‘so often’, one study found that when television meteorologists in Kansas predicted that there was a 100% chance of rain, that they were only right two-thirds of the time.

A Weather Station Can Be Very Useful

Back in 2009, torrential rain defined much of the British Summer. And yet the Met Office had predicted a hot and steamy ‘barbeque summer’. And in yet another example from the UK, in 1987 weatherman Michael Fish said that rumors of a hurricane weren’t true. Only for the storm to hit the day after, killing 18 people.

Good thing you’ve got a weather app then. Right?

Wrong, actually (as are many of the predictions that these apps make). The reason they’re often wrong is the same as why weather people are often wrong – and that’s because the high-tech gadgets and barometers that measure the weather are often based hundreds if not thousands of miles away from you.

So, what’s a person gotta’ do for an accurate weather report?

This is where the trusty weather station comes to play and has become increasingly popular.

Green Benefits

One of the big benefits of these sorts of weather stations is that they facilitate a greener lifestyle and one that allows you to be more carbon neutral, through better and more accurate prediction.

  • Predict temperatures and utilize energy for heating only when it’s needed.
  • Allows you to predict temperatures and offset cooling and air conditioning use and lower costs.
  • Knowing when and how much you should water a garden space.
  • Know when temperature will approach freezing and avoid issues with frost on plants.
  • Weather stations have Low power consumption for extended remote operations.

Home Weather Stations – How Do They Work?

A home weather station is a collection of tools, gadgets and sensors which form a single system to report readings about weather conditions covering the immediate area.

These systems include a thermometer; Barometer (which measures air pressure); Hygrometer (also known as a humidity sensor); Rain Sensor/Gauge, and an Anemometer (which confirms wind direction and speed).

Questions About Home Weather Station

Before we dig into the best home weather stations, first you’ll need to answer a few questions about what you can get from this bit of kit…

  • What information do you need your weather station to provide?
  • How accurate and robust do you need your system to be?
  • Do you want the indoor unit to be stylish?
  • Do you live in a brick-built building or have other sizeable structures between where you would place the external sensor and the main indoor unit? If so, you may find that some lower-end wireless weather stations will struggle with the task at hand.
  • Your budget – how much do you have to spend on your home weather station?

Now let’s dig into the techs and specs

The Temperature Sensei website has cut out the legwork. Creating a list of home weather stations that lead the way. Let’s explore them one by one.

Best Professional Weather Stations

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 (most accurate)

This professional level weather station is tough, robust and renowned for being the most accurate home weather station on the market.

If you’re serious about your weather watching, this is the system for you.
Cost: $$$$
Score: 5.0

Davis Instruments 6250 Vantage Vue

Like the Pro2, this system is professional-grade, providing all the weather data you need for hobbying, home, education, boating and much more besides.

See in an instant current weather conditions, including indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, dew point and rainfall.

The system also includes forecast icons, moon phase, sunrise/sunset times, graphing of weather trends, alarms and more.
Cost: $$$
Score: 4.9

Best Value Weather Stations

Ambient Weather WS-2902A Osprey

Getting into a lower priced territory of products, the Ambient Weather WS-2902A Osprey system is a worthy contender for the attention of a hobbyist meteorologist.

The color LED display is slick and operation is intuitive, allowing you to easily: monitor indoor and outdoor conditions, including wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, UV, solar radiation, barometric pressure, indoor/outdoor temperature (F and C), indoor humidity, dew point, heat index, wind chill and more.
Cost: $$
Score: 4.6

Ambient Weather WS-1002-WIFI OBSERVER

Got a good grip on technology? If you’re gadget-savvy, then the impressive Ambient Weather WS-1002-WIFI OBSERVER is worth a look.

It’s reliable, easy to install and provides dual wireless technology.
Cost: $$$
Score: 4.5

AcuRite 01024 Pro

Introducing the 5-in-1 weather station, which comes complete with a lightning detector and HD display, while the wireless weather sensor accurately measures the temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction and rain.
Cost: $$
Score: 4.2

Netatmo Weather Station

Netatmo positions itself as the smart home weather station made for “measuring, analyzing, and understanding your indoor and outdoor environment”.

You can add accessories part by part and control the system from your smartphone.
Cost: $$
Score: 4.0

Best Casual Weather Stations

La Crosse Technology 330-2315 Professional

This complete home weather station is perfect for the casual weather watcher who wants to track their home and backyard weather using a single, colorful LCD display (no wires, no confusing set-up), and you can be up and running within minutes.
Cost: $$
Score: 3.5

AcuRite 02007 Digital Weather Station

This home weather system delivers morning, noon and night precision forecast, temperature and humidity in a bright, easy-to-read display.
Cost: $
Score: 3.2

La Crosse Technology 308-1414B

Get precise weather data straight from your backyard. Check forecast and temperature trends and receive useful high/low temperature alerts.
The animated color forecasts react and update in real-time in reaction to barometric pressure. Which is all reported through a simple color display.
Cost: $
Score: 3.0

Best Portable Weather Station

Kestrel 5500 Weather Meter

Need solid weather insight while on-the-go? Avid hunters and intrepid sailors can rely on the Kestrel 5500 Weather Meter, which is a lightweight, handheld multi-function weather meter which comes complete with data logger and sunlight-readable display.
Cost: $$$
Score: 3.9

Article written by:

I am a writer and reporter for the clean energy sector, I cover climate change issues, new clean technologies, sustainability and green cars. Danny Ovy

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