An automatic weather station is a broad term that describes weather stations that take measurements without humans. Basic home weather stations are automated, as are official weather stations, known as Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS) in the United States. An automatic weather station can range in price from as little as $100 to tens of thousands of dollars for commercial equipment.
However, in most residential and commercial applications, the average price is between $300 and $2,000 USD depending on the station purchase, any specialized sensors, and mounting.
Average Weather Station Cost By Application
A casual weather watcher won’t need the station that a farmer would. In other words, determine your primary need for a weather station and go from there.
Casual weather watcher
If you just want to be able to know what’s going on outside before stepping out the door, or if your garden’s getting enough water, we recommend a basic station like the Ambient Weather WS-2902. For under $200, you’re getting a fully featured weather station that we’ve found to be super reliable. If you don’t need the solar and UV sensors, you can step down to the WS-1965, but for $50 more the WS-2902 is far more accurate.
Average cost: $100-$200 USD
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Weather enthusiast
Consider yourself a “weather weenie?” Or just want a more dependable station overall? While the WS-2902 might be fine, we’d also suggest you check out the Davis Vantage Vue, Tempest Weather System, or the Ambient Weather WS-5000. Each of these stations has both its strengths and weaknesses, but are a step above the previous recommendations.
Average cost: $300-$600 USD
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Gardening & Farming
If you’re in need of weather data for agricultural purposes, we highly recommend stations on the high end for their accuracy and expandability. Stations like the WS-5000, Davis Vantage Pro2, or KestrelMet 6000 are stations to investigate. All three offer optional soil and leaf moisture sensors and UV and light data. However, you will pay considerably more.
Average cost: $500-$1,500 USD
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Educational Applications
We’d recommend the KestrelMet 6000 or Davis Vantage Pro2 for educational uses. Our reasoning here is accuracy. While the KestrelMet 6000 comes with far aspiration, the Vantage Pro2 base model does not so make sure you select the correct model.
Average cost: $1,000-$2,000 USD
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Commercial Applications
If weather data at a job site or location is important, we’d recommend either the Davis Vantage Pro2 or KestrelMet 6000. Both offer optional cellular connectivity, which allows you to monitor weather conditions even offsite. The Tempest also has a commercial version known as the TempestOne. The cost varies widely based on the business’s unique needs.
Average cost: $1,000-$2,500 USD+
While these are only a few examples, we hopes this helps you narrow down your search to the best automatic weather station for your particular need. Have any questions? Feel free to comment below!