Buying guide
Home weather station buying guide
A backyard weather station is the best way to get truly hyperlocal data. Here is what to buy and how to use it — from $200 hobby stations to $2,000 pro-grade setups.
What a home station measures
- Temperature (thermometer)
- Humidity (hygrometer)
- Barometric pressure (barometer)
- Wind speed and direction (anemometer + vane)
- Rainfall (tipping bucket)
- UV index (some stations)
- Solar radiation (some stations)
- Soil moisture / soil temperature (advanced)
The buying tiers
Budget ($100-200)
AcuRite Iris 5-in-1. Ambient Weather WS-1200. Basic, but decent accuracy if mounted right.
Enthusiast ($200-400)
Ambient Weather WS-2902. La Crosse V50. Wi-Fi enabled, feeds Weather Underground.
Serious ($400-800)
Davis Vantage Vue. Tempest Weather System. Faster update rates, better sensors.
Pro-grade ($800-2000)
Davis Vantage Pro2. WeatherHawk 630. Research-quality accuracy. What NWS Cooperative Observers use.
Where to mount it
Mounting matters more than the station model.
- Anemometer: 10 meters (33 ft) above ground, in the open. Roof or dedicated mast.
- Thermometer: Shaded, ventilated, 4-6 ft above open grass. Never on a hot deck.
- Rain gauge: Level, unobstructed. Avoid downwash from trees or buildings.
- Solar: Sun-facing, no shading.
A pro-grade station mounted badly is worse than a budget station mounted well. NWS Cooperative Observer standards are the gold standard for placement.
Feeding data to services
- Weather Underground — most stations natively support. Public dashboard, historical data.
- CWOP (Citizen Weather Observer Program) — feeds into NWS forecasting. Free.
- PWSweather.com — commercial network. Free tier.
- Windy — accepts data, displays on their map.
- MADIS — NWS ingest for CWOP data.
The Tempest special case
The Tempest by WeatherFlow ($350) uses a haptic rain sensor and sonic anemometer — no moving parts. Reduces maintenance but rain measurement is less accurate than tipping bucket in heavy rain. Great for reliability-focused users.
Batteries and maintenance
- Most stations run on AA batteries in the outdoor unit — replace once a year.
- Solar-charged models exist and are worth the extra $50.
- Clean the rain gauge twice a year.
- Check anemometer freely spinning quarterly.
- Recalibrate barometer if it drifts more than 1 mb.