Yes, you can check weather forecasts from any of several dozen apps and websites. If you prefer doing your own meteorological weather sleuthing, however, you might want to check out Bloomsky’s Sky2 and its accompanying Storm accessory.
Billed as a “weather camera system,” it lets you take measurements of prevailing local weather conditions. Just set it up outside, hook it up to a power source, and receive regular readings straight to your phone, allowing you to gather pertinent data for making accurate local weather forecasts.
The Bloomsky Sky2 is an outdoor camera that captures real-time images of the sky every five minutes, with integrated sensors for measuring temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and precipitation. It can work on its own, as well as when paired with an accessory called Storm, which measures total rainfall, wind speed, wind direction, and ultraviolet light, making it suited for use during wetter climates. Both devices come with accompanying solar panels, which can continuously recharge each one’s onboard battery (rated at two weeks of use on a full charge). All pictures and readings are regularly transmitted over a Wi-Fi connection, so you can stay updated even when you’re away from home.
The Sky2 camera, by the way, comes with an ultra-wide angle lens, a 45-degree adjustable angle, and an automatic timelapse generator available from the app. Features include weatherproof construction, IFTTT support (so you can trigger events based on weather conditions), and the ability to share local readings with other users.
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running for the Bloomsky Sky2 and Storm. Pledges to reserve a full set (Sky2 plus Storm) starts at $209.