Five Basic Weather Widgets

You don't have to spend a lot of money for a reliable weather station. We asked Marty Brumback, a member of the Atlantic Coast Observer Network and the D.C. chapter of the American Meteorological Society, for five things any budding Bob Ryan or Doug Hill should have. Be sure to shop around, as prices vary.

1. Thermometer. Keep it shielded from the sun and preferably on the south side of the house. Also, mount it over grass five feet from the ground and keep it away from other objects. Consider a wireless digital thermometer, which transmits constantly updated temperatures into your home. Brumback recommends Radio Shack's EMR662 ($29.99), right, which has a range of 100 feet. If you can afford it, buy a radiation shield, which protects the thermometer's temperature sensor from direct solar radiation. Davis Instruments ( http://www.davisnet.com/) makes a good one for $65.

2. Rain gauge. Location is everything. Keep it as exposed as possible to the elements, away from your house and trees. You can go digital and wireless -- Oregon Scientific's RGR126 model ($59.95 at http://www2.oregonscientific.com/) is Brumback's recommendation -- but you can also get more accurate readings with a cheaper, plastic four-inch rain/snow gauge ($29.95 at http://www.ambientweather.com/). Yes, that means you have to go outside to read it, but digital ones can sometimes be overwhelmed by heavy rains and freezing precipitation.

3. Barometer. An inexpensive barometer, which measures air pressure, should run less than $30. But you must learn how to read it and understand what falling or rising pressure represents (impending bad weather vs. fair weather). Or, if you have lots of money, get a digital or recording barometer, which will track pressure changes for you.

4. Weather radio. These devices are left on 24-7 and begin broadcasting watches and warnings from the National Weather Service when bad weather is imminent. They can cost as little as $10, but Brumback recommends the Midland WR-100 Desktop Weather Alert Radio ($34.95 at http://www.ambientweather.com/), right. With few exceptions, the radios offer at least 20 minutes of warning and plenty of time to get to safety when a tornado or severe thunderstorm is approaching.

5. Journal. A notebook is all you need. Keep good records of what your yard experiences in terms of precipitation and temperature (noting such things as the first and last freeze), and you can use the data for years to come for gardening and simple home maintenance. Also consider recording sky conditions, humidity, air pressure and wind direction for a complete home climate record.

John Deiner