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 wonโt 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 whatโs going on outside before stepping out the door, or if your gardenโs getting enough water, we recommend a basic station like the Ambient Weather WS-2902. For under $200, youโre getting a fully featured weather station that weโve found to be super reliable. If you donโt 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
Theย Ambient Weather WS-2902 is surprisingly feature-packed and accurate, given its price. Many of the cheap wireless home weather stations we've tested had issues that prevented us from genuinely recommending them. The WS-2902 does not.
The WS-2902 isn't as accurate as theย WS-5000ย orย Davis weather stations, but it's also less than half the price. The connectivity is a standout feature at its price point, with full smart-home capabilities thanks to IFTTT, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa support. Like the WS-5000, connecting the station to AmbientWeather.net allows you to share data with Weather Underground and access weather station data through the app or a web-based portal.
If you can't justify theย price of other weather stations on our list, the Ambient Weather WS-2902 is the best budget model available. The LCD display console in the WS-2902 is much improved over previous models. When we tested the WS-2902A, the console suffered from readability problems beyond a 30-degree angle, which is far less of a problem now.
The WS-2902 weather station has all the features you'd expect including indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity, rainfall, wind speed and direction, and barometric pressure. A nice surprise is the inclusion of a fairly accurate UV/light sensor, something you typically don't see on other home weather stations even in this price range.
Weather enthusiast
Consider yourself a โweather weenie?โ Or just want a more dependable station overall? While the WS-2902 might be fine, weโd 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
Theย Davis Vantage Vueย got a much-needed update when theย WeatherLink Consoleย debuted earlier this year. It's the successor to theย WeatherLink Live hub and changed how you interact with your station for the better. It's built on Android and appears to be upgradeable, so you're no longer stuck in the past with dated hardware.
The reliability of Davis weather stations is legendary in the weather enthusiast community. I've had mine running continuously since September 2016, and I know others who have had theirs for over a decade. There is also the story of a gentleman with a Davis Weather Monitor II (a predecessor to the Vue) who recently upgradedย after 27 years (that's not a typo).
While you don't get the unbeatable accuracy of the high-end Davis Vantage Pro 2 home weather station, my experience has been positive. With theย WeatherLink Console, sharing your data is super easy. While on your home network, you can watch live conditions (updated every two seconds), and your data is uploaded to Davis' platform once per minute.
If there's one thing I'd ding this weather station for, it's its lack of upgradeability. Sure, you get all the basics, but the only optional sensor you can add is the Davisย AirLink.
WeatherFlow is a relatively recent entrant to the home weather station market, although it has years of experience. Its coastal network of professional weather stations has been delivering vital information to meteorologists for years and has proven useful (and durable) in landfalling hurricanes.
Theย Tempest Weather Systemย is WeatherFlow's first attempt at a wireless home weather station. For the most part, it's a good start. It's the only one of our stations with built-in lightning detection, one of Tempest's standout features, and operates entirely on solar power.
We found that the real-time lightning data matched better with historical data than from professional lightning detection networks. It regularly detected distant lightning faster than any other station we've tested. In addition to lightning data, the Tempest measures indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity, barometric pressure, and UV and light intensity.
Wind is measured by a sonic anemometer which we found to be fairly accurate. And up until theย Ecowitt Wittboy, the Tempest Weather System was the only home weather station to use a haptic rain sensor.
See our review for a way to save 10% off your next purchase from WeatherFlow.
Gardening & Farming
If youโre 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
At $999, the KestrelMet 6000 is not for the casual weather enthusiast. Despite this, its excellent features, such as top-tier accuracy, ease of installation, and high-quality construction, make it a worthwhile investment for hardcore weather fans.
It matches the Davisย Vantage Pro2ย in size and accuracy, offering even better tools to view and analyze data. However, unlike the Pro2, it doesnโt require additional hardware for internet connectivity and outperforms Davisโ Vantage Vue in terms of temperature accuracy. Even compared to theย WeatherFlow Tempest, KestrelMet 6000 proves superior in all aspects except forย lightning detectionย and UV/solar sensors, the latter of which kept this from a nearly perfect score.
Standard are indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity measurements, rainfall, wind speed and direction, and barometric pressure. Solar irradiance sensors are available as an option at the time of purchase, as well as soil moisture and leaf wetness sensors. While the hefty price tag may be daunting, for those who value accuracy and the capacity for expansion, the KestrelMet 6000 is a solid choice.
Unfortunately, rising component costs and inflation have made the Ambient Weather WS-5000 one of our list's most expensive personal weather stations. That played a part in losing the top rank in our Best Weather Stations of 2024 rankings (it was the #1 best weather station back in 2022). But you do get quite a bit for your money.
The WS-5000 features a redesigned sensor suite, including an ultrasonic anemometer. Eliminating the cup anemometer found on other weather stations drastically reduces the number of moving parts and can measure wind speed as accurately as the cup-and-vane. This should extend its useable life as the traditional anemometer requires ongoing maintenance to ensure trouble-free use.
The Ambient Weather WS-5000's sensors were much more accurate in our tests than the WS-2000, WS-2902, and WS-1900A, which use a slightly lower-quality sensor suite. Thanks to expandability and a wide array of optional additional sensors here, you can add just about any sensor you can think of, includingย air quality, soil moisture, water temperature, and lightning, all of which send data to the console in as little as every five seconds.
The company has made it easy to share your data publicly through Weather Underground. Its smart home connectivity is best in class, offering IFTTT compatibility to connect your station to your smart home system. Of course, there's Ambient Weather Network and the Ambient Weather app to view your personal weather stations' data remotely on your mobile device or through the web app.
If you're looking for a step up from the WS-2902, with accuracy that rivals any Davis station, the WS-5000 is the best home weather station for you. The price, however, might scare some away. If you can do without the console, a version of the WS-5000 with app access to your data is available.
Educational Applications
Weโd 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
The Davis Vantage Pro2ย is one of the best high-end home weather stations you can buy and is made even better byย WeatherLink Liveย or theย WeatherLink Console. The Vantage Pro2 is a proven workhorse. Several years ago in the Caribbean, a VantagePro 2 recorded a 199mph wind gust in aย hurricaneย before its mast snapped. Thatโs the highest wind readingย ever recordedย on a personal weather station!
So why is the Vantage Pro2 more accurate? The sensors in the Vantage Pro2 are of higher quality than in the Vantage Vue. A larger rain gauge collects rain more efficiently, especially in windy situations. The radiation shielding around the temperature and humidity sensor is larger, allowing for better airflow.
Another difference between the VantagePro 2 and the Vantage Vue is the anemometer. Since itโs separate from the rest of the sensor suite, you can place it in a high location to improve your wind readings.
While it takes a bit more time to set up, no other weather station on the market even comes close if you want the most accurate weather data. As a side note, there is also a bundle that includes the console. While the Vantage Pro2โs console is much more helpful than the Vantage Vueโs, it does add to the price. Whether you need it is up to you.
Depending on the model you select, you may also have UV and Light Sensors (standard on the Pro2 Plus), and fan aspiration, which we strongly recommend if youโre very concerned about accuracy. Further optional sensors include soil moisture and leaf wetness sensors, and air quality measurementsย via AirLink.
Commercial Applications
If weather data at a job site or location is important, weโd 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 businessโs 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!