Snow and Ambient Light Readings?

Tempest Owners
1

I’m considering picking up a Tempest weather station, with the intention of integrating it with my home automation system to control the lighting in my home, so it’s important that the light sensors are accurate and reliable.

Can anyone tell me how much snow buildup affects the readings?

I’m actually a little surprised that they don’t have built in heaters to periodically clear the snow & ice from the light & wind sensors. They appear to be far enough away from the temperature sensor that it wouldn’t affect readings.

Thanks!

2

I’ve seen snow accumulation impact the LUX reading when there is a sufficient amount. I will typically try to blow it away with a leaf blower (it is somewhat accessible) or gently using a roof rake.

1 Like
3

I doubt that there is sufficient battery power budget to run a resistance-type heater long enough to melt even a light covering of snow. For comparison, the Davis rain bucket heater draws 24 watts. Even if it only required 1/3 of that (8 watts) to clear the smaller-sized Tempest’s cap, that would still be almost 3 amps from a fully-charged Tempest battery…

4

No, but they do make an optional power cord accessory, for those who need it. I’d gladly pay a little extra for an upgraded model with a heater.

5

I’ve got about 8" of snow that has fallen in the past 12 hours, and I’m reading about 9k lux.