Time & Date
Most weather stations also include a read out of the date and time. These can be used simply as a clock, but some weather stations will additionally record the daily high and low temperatures and timestamp them. This will allow you to look back and find the coldest day of the year, or know what time of year it is ok to plant your favorite flowers.
Humidity/Hygrometer
Some weather stations include a hygrometer (rain sensor) for measuring the humidity in the air. In many places, humidity plays such a large role in your enjoyment of the weather, that a simple temperature reading isn't enough. Knowing the local humidity level will allow you to plan out your day a little bit better.
Anemometer
An anemometer is a wind meter. This additional feature is usually only available on more complex models, as anemometers tend to be bulky. Running, biking and sailing are just a few activities in which wind speed is important. Wind speed is also important when making weather forecasts, which we will discuss in the next section.
Forecasting
Using the barometer, hygrometer, anemometer and temperature, advanced weather stations are capable of making fairly accurate short term weather predictions. These systems will tell you if a cold front is coming in, if it's likely to rain or snow soon, or if there's a good chance it will stay nice outside.
Wireless
Many weather systems utilize wireless technology to gather information from sensors you place around your home. This allows the wireless weather station to make calculations based on several points of interest. Some wireless systems can also be accessed wirelessly from your laptop allowing you to check the weather on your computer whether you're at home or away.
Moon Phase
If you're interested in astronomy, consider getting a weatherstation that will tell you the current phase of the moon, it's location in the sky, and the current tide level.
Alarms
Perhaps you're considering using a weather station as your alarm clock, or maybe you want an alarm to go off when the weather gets below freezing so you can go cover up your vegetable patch. In both cases, you should look for a weather system with good alarm settings.
Readings Range
Depending on where you will be using your weather station, you may need to take into account the available range or readings. Some weather stations are only capable of recording certain temperatures and pressures. Most weather stations will work just fine in a standard environment, but if you're considering using the weather station in an extreme weather location, you'll need to make sure it's capable of recording extreme readings.
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