Analog, Wireless and Digital Weather Stations

1. If you're looking to streamline your weather predictions, a weather station is the way to go. Weather stations are a collection of two or more weather instruments in one self-contained unit, so they take up little room. Most weather stations typically include a thermometer and a hygrometer. They're small, smart, and accurate - perfect for where space is scarce.

2. Are you more comfortable with a digital weather station or an analog weather station? Just like telling time, it's important to go with a model you can read and decipher. Remember, a weather station won't be useful unless you can understand it.

3. Digital weather stations can display more information than the  analog variety, including moon phases, high and low tide, wind direction and speed, and altitude. Decide what information you're interested in before picking a weather station and choose one that displays that information in an easy-to-read format.

4. High humidity can put a kink in the simplest of plans. A hygrometer can solve your humidity woes by measuring the relative humidity, or vapor content, in the surrounding air. Depending on your needs, choose from three types of hygrometer sensing mechanisms: hair (hair hygrometer), carbon-coated plating (electrical hygrometer), and an infrared sensor (infrared hygrometer).

5. Weather stations can be a one-stop shop for weather predictions. Many include a barometric weather instrument to read the current barometric pressure. Rising barometric pressure is a sign of clearing skies, while falling barometric pressure is an indication that clouds are gathering on the horizon.

6. You don't have to sacrifice style for content with a weather station. Choose an unobtrusive station that reflects your home's decor and complements its surroundings. Weather stations can be decorative, with wood inlays, attractive bezels, frames, and other embellishments. Often, a seafaring or aviation theme is expressed.

7. If you're short on electrical outlets, or just hate wasting time untangling hopelessly tangled cords, think about purchasing a wireless weather station. Wireless weather stations are easy to transport from room to room, so you can take the weather, good or bad, no matter where you are.

8. The ocean runs on its own clock, which can make water activities like boating and fishing unpredictable. Purchasing a time and tide clock can help you measure your time by the ebb and flow of the tides and match your rhythms to those of the sea. So when you feel the pull of the ocean, you'll be ready to go.