Make a Weather Station
The instruments you'll need to build your own weather station
Would you like to forecast or track the weather from your own house—without the Internet, television, or radio? It's easy. Not only can you put together your own weather station, you can build the equipment yourself!
Meteorologists, people who study weather, predict weather based on past weather. They track changes in temperature, pressure, humidity, wind, and precipitation. To track the weather like a meteorologist you'll need:
HYGROMETER
A hygrometer measures the humidity, the moisture in the air.
RAIN GAUGE
A rain gauge measures how much rain has fallen. If you live where it snows, make a snow gauge, too.
THERMOMETER
Of course, a thermometer measures temperature. Track and note the temperature throughout the day.
BAROMETER
A barometer tracks the air pressure. If the pressure drops that often means clouds and precipitation (rain or snow). If the pressure goes up that usually means clear or fair weather. An easy way to remember that is, if the pressure falls, something falls from the sky—like rain!
ANEMOMETER
An anemometer measures wind speed.
WEATHER VANE
A weather vane tells you which way the wind is blowing.
Once you set up your weather station, you'll soon begin to notice how different patterns predict certain kinds of weather—just like a meteorologist. Good luck!