The Virtual Weather Station
Today a full home weather station can be enjoyed minus weather instruments. A PC or digital station can be set up to receive ongoing local weather conditions from a service provider, who maintains instruments in the area.
Having your own weather instruments does provide the most accurate reading for your location. However, a wayward ball, frisky animal, or curious child can wreak havoc on weather equipment. Setting up a station and sensors can also be quite challenging for those who lack the time or mechanical skills.
Companies like Weather Undergound and WeatherBug have large networks of local weather stations that can be accessed via the Internet. Web pages and downloadable applications make your PC simulate a live weather station. Through advances in website design, dials move to current readings right before your eyes. The ability to view past data helps the user recognize patterns and make weather forecasts.
By tapping into services like MSN Direct, standalone weather stations can provide current weather conditions without any additional sensors. Weather readings are updated every two minutes and include wind, rain, chance of rain, temperature and humidity. NWS warnings are also carried.
Proximity to the receiving weather instruments is key to the quality of weather station options. If a weather service maintains instruments nearby, the virtual station becomes almost identical to having your own instruments. If a weather service has stations that are far away or in a different micro-climate, readings can be very different from current weather conditions.
A sensor-free home weather station can provide the enjoyment of tracking weather conditions without the hassle of setting up and maintaining weather instruments. While not for everyone, it has become a rewarding option for those with a love of weather.
Tags: Hobbies, science, weather, weather instruments, weather sensors, weather stations