Predicting the weather from your couch
kevin mcclintock gatehouse plus

A raised wet thumb or a rusty wind vane atop a barn roof once served as the most accurate means people used to determine an approaching storm from their porch steps, long before sophisticated radio or television broadcasts became the norm.

Today, thank goodness, times have changed, and so has the technology.

Weather stations for the home can now be purchased and easily set-up either inside an office or outdoors, hanging from the side of the house or fence post.

These micro-weather facilities utilize instruments and equipment that make accurate weather observations simply by monitoring atmospheric conditions. Typical weather stations have the following instruments:

+ Thermometer, for measuring temperature.

+ Barometer, for measuring barometric pressure, or the atmospheric pressure at any point in the Earth's atmosphere.

+ Hygrometer, for measuring humidity in the air by evaporation/temperature.

+ Anemometer, for measuring wind speed.

+ Wind vane, for determining wind direction.

+ Rain gauge, for measuring rain/snow amounts.

The first three instruments in the above list are protected deep inside the station, while the latter three are directly exposed to the elements.

Home weather stations come in all shapes, sizes and prices.

The HOBO line of stations measure the "traditional" readings, but also measures solar radiation, soil moisture, the wetness of leaves, photosynthetic light, solar pulses and UV light emissions.

Most are computerized, with up to 500k readings, data loggers and 10 channels. Some stations

can easily be customized with a choice of sensors, and many displays are backlit.

Prices can range from $40 to $500. The high-end models, such as the Davis Vantage Pro2 Weather Station, can transmit data via wireless signal up to 1,000-feet.

The cheaper ones are best for hobbyists and school science projects.