Should I mount my weather station on my roof?
Many homeowners install their weather station on top of their roof or on the eaves using tripods or side mounts. Do not mount it too close to the surface of the roof. It must be well above the roofline—preferably by as much as 10 feet—so there is no interference with the readings.
Ideally mounted at a height of 4 to 6 feet above the ground. Ideally located at a horizontal distance of 4 times the height of the nearest obstruction. Ensure the gauge is mounted level to the ground, away from any horizontal surface that can introduce rain-splashing or surrounding snow buildup.
Weather stations should be isolated from large obstacles such as fences, trees or buildings by a distance equal to 7-10 times the height of the obstacle. Using this rule, one should place a station 70-100' away from a 10' high building to ensure proper wind flow at the site.
Mount the sensor vertically at least 6 feet off the ground. Provide good airflow around the sensor. Direct sunlight can inflate the temperature reading, so a north-side, shaded location is best. If you have a solar panel on the sensor it will need to be charged.
Personal weather stations can provide a lot of benefits. Whether you want to know your local conditions so you can plan your day, or you're interested in getting into weather as a hobby, a personal weather station can be tremendously valuable. Basic stations are great if all you need is the temperature and humidity.
You may need to purchase some mounting hardware, or the weather station may come with all necessary mounting hardware. Home weather stations typically cost between about $50 and $500. Complete weather stations, including all standard sensors, start around $100.
A quality weather station array can last up to 10 years or longer, although some sensors may require replacement if damaged from high winds or hail. Inexpensive temperature- and humidity-only units may not last as long but should give reliable readings for a few years at least.
» Standard mounting elevation is 4.0 to 6.5 feet (1.2 to 2.0 meters) above grade. » The sensor should be mounted over a plot of open level ground at least 30 feet (9 meters) in diameter. The ground beneath the sensor should be short grass or natural earth, not asphalt, concrete, areas of standing water, etc.
Weather Station Positioning
Buildings and trees can affect temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, wind speed and wind direction. For this reason, weather stations should also be located away from nearby trees and buildings at a distance that is equal to 10 times the height of these obstructions.
To a storm cloud, your mast on the roof is a lightning rod. As such, to protect your house, the lightning rod needs to be grounded. I've seen lots of lightning damage; doing nothing to prevent lightning damage is not a good idea.
How far does Weatherhead need to be from roof?
It shall be of length such that the weatherhead shall be a minimum of (18) inches above the roof if within four (4) feet from the edge of the roof, otherwise it shall be three (3) feet above the roof and/or twelve (12) feet minimum above ground level.
All laying or handling of slates, tiles, battens and felt at roof level should cease when the (average) mean wind speed reaches 23 mph (gusting to 35 mph or over).
Wind Speed and Direction
Similar to a rain collector, the anemometer should reflect the wind patterns as if the instrument was placed in a large field. The standard wind measurement should be taken at 10 meters (33 feet) above the ground. A roof-top works the best. Try to place the anemometer as high as is convenient.
The main disadvantage of an automatic weather station is that it removes the observer from the real elements being measured, and so the experience of what -5ºC temperatures or 30 knot winds feel like, is lost.
- Stand-Alone Temperature and Humidity Monitors provide basic readings of indoor conditions and display this information digitally.
- Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Stations go a step further and use remote monitors to provide outdoor conditions.
- Best Overall: Ambient Weather WS-2902C Osprey WiFi 10-in-1.
- Best Premium Model: Ambient Weather WS-2000 Smart Weather Station with WiFi.
- Most Accurate: Davis Instruments 6152 Vantage Pro2.
- Best Ultrasonic Model: Ambient Weather WS-5000 Ultrasonic Weather Station.
Select a mounting location where the rain-sensing head will receive direct rainfall. Make sure the head extends beyond the roof line, tree limbs, and any other obstructions. Install the Rain Sensor in an area that receives as much rain and sunlight as the grass. Be sure to mount the sensor above spray from sprinklers.
The ideal shaded location in the Northern hemisphere is on the North side of the building. In the Southern hemisphere the South side of the building is ideal. The sensor shield and probe should always point down and mounted between four feet above the ground/roof and one foot minimum below the eave.
You CAN run your weather station without any internet connection or cellular connection.
Weather Stations are consists of a Display Unit (A digital Coloured LCD in our case) and one or many sensors. Sensors collect data like temperature, rain, wind, humidity, atmospheric pressure etc. and show on display screen. Some Best Wireless Weather Stations can even connect to computer or mobile(via app).
How do I build a weather station at home?
- Have an adult punch a hole in the side of the bottle about an inch from the bottom. ...
- Cut the tips off the shoestring. ...
- Cut a small piece of packing tape. ...
- Push the shoelace through the hole. ...
- Wait five to 10 minutes, and read both thermometers. ...
- Keep a record of the daily humidity for a few weeks.
Best Overall: Ambient Weather WS-2902 WiFi Smart Weather Station. With its 10 sensors packed into a small, reasonably-priced package, the Ambient Weather WS-2902 is our best overall pick. It did everything well enough, making this model easy to pick as the one to get.
The professional AcuRite weather station is easy to set up, includes mounting hardware, and features a 2-year battery life (not included).
Wireless weather stations use two AA sized lithium batteries providing a maximum life of 10 years.
Good product. A very good home weather station. This unit is easy to install and works quite well. I have found the batteries last for a couple of years.
It is not always essential to enclose the weather station with a fence, but it is advisable in many cases, to prevent physical interference and damage to cables laying on the ground.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DATA OF AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL OBSERVATION
It is found that observation results of automatic weather station are more objective and scientific than that of manual observation. It has a prominent advantage at an automatic weather station measuring air pressure, temperature, wind direction, wind speed.
The Weather Channel app, for example, offers useful information like airport conditions and flu outbreak updates by region, while Weather Underground has the richest (and geekiest) information.
Height of weather-head shall not be less than eleven feet above ground level. Conduit, if used, shall be rigid galvanized steel, rigid aluminum, Schedule 40 PVC or electric metallic tubing. It shall be of proper size, as indicated below, and securely fastened to side of house.
The service mast should not be more than 3-feet vertically above the roof line; most utilities will require bracing or guy wires for additional support of any mast that is taller than 3-feet.
How far above the roof should a service entrance be?
The minimum clearance above only the overhanging portion of the roof shall not be less than 18 inches (457 mm) where not more than 6 feet (1829 mm) of overhead service conductor length passes over 4 feet (1219 mm) or less of roof surface measured horizontally and such conductors are terminated at a through-the-roof ...
Wind-Resistant Roofing Material
Clay and slate tiles hold up to 100 mph winds. They can also last up to 100 years. Cedar shakes can withstand wind speeds up to 245 mph, lasting up to 40 years with routine maintenance. 100%-recyclable metal roofs can resist winds between 110 and 160 mph and can last up to 50 years.
It is the building material that architects and engineers increasingly turn to for homes meant to withstand extreme weather and hurricanes. ICF can stand up against winds over 200 miles per hour, and the additional insulation means the concrete cures even stronger than standard concrete forms.
High winds begin at a sustained 40 mph or 50 mph gusts. Even with hours of howling winds, those gusts do not hit your rooftop at an even rate. The corners, angles, and ridge are all equally susceptible to wind damage, such as curling, ripping, tearing, and lifting shingles away from the roof.
- Slip a bigger pipe over the vent and mount on the side of that. Keep the top open.
- Clamp a mast directly on the side of the vent.
- Buy a vent pipe installation kit. Yep, they make 'em.
- Attach a satellite dish mount onto the vent with u-bolts.
In general, meteorologists and instrument manufacturers recommend mounting stations at least 6 feet off the ground and at least 30 feet away from nearby obstacles. These recommendations, however, can change depending on the type of weather station and instrumentation employed.
Ideally, they should be installed in an open area, but this should also be a place that is protected from wind coming from any possible direction. A general rule is that a gauge should be placed away from any obstruction, at least twice the height of whatever that object might be.
DO mount the sensor at least 5 feet off the ground (higher is better for accurate wind measurements) in an open area NO FURTHER than 330 feet (100 meters) from the display console and/or AcuRite Access®. A typical installation would involve mounting the bracket to a secured length of 2 x 4 or 4 x 4 wood (not included).
While it is OK to walk on your roof, it is not recommended and should be avoided whenever possible. Though you might be able to fix the leak or hang Christmas lights as a homeowner by walking on your room, there are serious safety and insurance risks involved in stepping onto your roof yourself.
There are some limitations associated with rain gauges. For instance, it can be almost impossible to collect rain data during a hurricane as a result of wind extremes. Additionally, rain gauges can only be used for indicating precipitation that has fallen within a localized area.
How far should a rain gauge be from a house?
The general rule of thumb is to keep the rain gauge twice the distance away from the height of the nearest obstruction (e.g., placing a gauge 20 feet away from 10-foot tall trees).
Accuracy. Certain rain gauges more accurately measure rainfall than others. For homeowners, tipping bucket systems are often the most accurate, and some display rain totals down to 0.01 of an inch. Standard gauges are less accurate and may only offer 0.25 or 0.1-inch increments.
Personal weather stations can provide a lot of benefits. Whether you want to know your local conditions so you can plan your day, or you're interested in getting into weather as a hobby, a personal weather station can be tremendously valuable. Basic stations are great if all you need is the temperature and humidity.
- Best Overall: Ambient Weather WS-2902C Osprey WiFi 10-in-1.
- Best Premium Model: Ambient Weather WS-2000 Smart Weather Station with WiFi.
- Most Accurate: Davis Instruments 6152 Vantage Pro2.
- Best Ultrasonic Model: Ambient Weather WS-5000 Ultrasonic Weather Station.
The load for normal shingled or wooden roofs follows the same code. With that in mind, the code typically starts out at 20 pounds per square foot. Residential roofs can hold a minimum of around 20 pounds per square foot then top out at 100 pounds per square foot.
- Never install things directly on your roof. ...
- Never ignore debris in valleys and gutters. ...
- Never power wash (or use abrasive cleaning techniques) ...
- Never pull up shingles. ...
- Never install a new roof over an old damaged one.
Most roofs have a live weight capacity of 20 pounds per square foot on top of the standard weight they're expected to bear. For example, if your roof was rated to hold 20lbs of dead weight and 20 pounds per square foot as a live load, you wouldn't combine your weight with the weight of the shingles.
