The idea for our weather station arose from a family discussion in 2008 while we were all huddled in our 1st floor interior bathroom during severe weather. Nathan and Jessica were 4 years old at the time and were quite anxious at the sound of the tornado sirens. They asked many questions and expressed interest in learning more about the weather.
It started as a relatively simple setup and has grown as the kids have grown. The station is powered by a Davis Instruments Wireless Vantage Pro2 Plus, which is comprised of an anemometer, a rain gauge, a thermo-hygro sensor, UV and solar radiation sensor. Over the years, we have added a solar powered wireless transmitter and mounting pole to relocate the anemometer to the chimney, a redesigned rain cone with improved debris filter and bird spikes, and a solar powered daytime fan aspirated radiation shield.
Measurements are collected using 5 different weather station software applications on a dedicated system that runs 24/7/365. Data is submitted from there to Weather Underground: KTXPLANO60, Citizen Weather Observer Program (CWOP): DW2893, PWS Weather: KTXPLANO60, and updated to our hosted website every 10 seconds.
The website itself would not be possible without a group of weather enthusiasts on the Internet who write and share scripts that integrate with our station and software.
This is strictly a backyard hobby, educational tool, and family project we have chosen to share with the community. We receive no income from the site, no ads are present, and donations are not accepted.
Tags: site