On the Radar: Weather Stations for Personal and Professional Use


On the Radar: Weather Stations for Personal and Professional Use

You no longer have to be a meteorologist to gain access to sophisticated weather data and reliable forecasts. With high-quality weather stations available, even home users can gather a range of atmospheric information. Personal weather stationsAccording to Susan Foxall, Marketing Director for Davis Instruments Corp., “Fully featured packages are on the market at prices that are economical even for home users. These weather stations provide wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, inside and outside temperature, humidity, dew point, rain, and the local forecast.”

With this volume of data, home users and weather buffs can gather accurate readings and some may even use software to upload data to weather sites such as Weather Underground or CWOP (Citizens’ Weather Observer Program, sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).

What has really expanded the options in weather data gathering is increasingly easier installations. “Home weather enthusiasts are interested in using more advanced weather stations now because they are easier to install,” said Foxall. “Stations used to be installed as totally separate parts—the anemometer up on the roof, the temperature sensor in another location, and the rain bucket in a third locale. Now, a station is mostly assembled when it arrives with some models allowing you to detach the anemometer for optimal wind data. While ideal for home users, all of our weather stations are accurate and rugged enough to be used for professional purposes such as farming, research, or business.”

Multi-Use Weather Stations for Professional Weather Watchers

Advanced weather stations provide the local forecast, highs and lows, totals or averages, and graphs for virtually all weather variables over the past 24 days, months, or years. While priced at a level within reach for consumers, these stations are also used by professional weather observers, farmers, vintners, schools, municipalities, private pilots, emergency professionals, and others to monitor wind and moisture conditions, potential flooding, and more. Personal weather stations

“Some of these wireless stations can be customized with a range of add-on options, such as additional temperature and humidity stations, solar and UV radiation sensors, soil moisture stations, and long- and short-range repeaters,” said Foxall.

Typically, these units include a console with data display of the various readings and may include calculated values such as dew point and windchill. Customers can choose accessories or additional components to meet their specific needs such as a soil temperature or leaf wetness sensor, a fan-aspirated radiation shield, additional temperature and humidity sensors protected from solar radiation and reflected heat, solar panels, and a weather-resistant shelter.

Ecologically minded farmers may want to choose special-purpose software modules such as the Integrated Pest Management modules for grapes, apple/pears, or stone fruit orchards. These modules assess risk potential by taking weather data from the farmer’s specific location and using it in research-based pest development algorithms. For example, the module may indicate that powdery mildew will likely appear on the fruit, signaling the farmer to take action to prevent crop loss. Special-purpose wireless leaf & soil moisture/temperature stations are required for some modules.

Software and a data logger enable weather station owners to collect weather data for analysis, including tracking or graphing daily, monthly, or annual statistics. “Davis weather station consoles allow you to do a lot of short-term analysis without purchasing a software package,” said Foxall. “WeatherLink software creates an archive of your weather data, providing an historical perspective to what’s happening in your location. The more dramatic the weather is, the more fun it is to look at the graphs and compare monthly totals.”

Software also allows the user to export and share data. Weather enthusiasts can contribute data to the National Weather Service, international educational programs, and global weather networks.

What’s Ahead

The next breakthrough in weather watching involves remote data collection in areas that may not even be accessible by vehicles. “We’re launching our latest technology, Vantage Connect, to bring the most remote locations within reach,” said Foxall. “Using solar power and cellular signals, weather data is recorded without the need for a power source. The data logger receives and stores the data, then sends it via cellular connection to a secure page on the WeatherLink web site, where it can be accessed using a computer, tablet, or smart phone. This remote data collection is especially vital for farms with extensive acreage or, for example, foresters who previously stayed in fire towers to watch for changing conditions.”

Also on the horizon are improvements in data capture for specific components, such as anemometers.

“We’ve come a long way from a glass thermometer and a mercury barometer,” said Foxall. “Professional-quality weather stations are highly accurate and have become more affordable and easier to install, making them more attractive to the public at large. Now, even home enthusiasts can gather the same type of accurate weather data that professionals do.”