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Analog Weather Instruments

Analog weather instruments at one time were considered necessary when news and information were not quickly relayed to homes and families. Now, in the digital age, access to this information is a click away. Analog weather instruments are often now considered home decor. While they may be decorative, these instruments will give you all the weather information you may need.

Thermometers
- Bulb thermometers are everywhere.
  
  The most commonly seen type of analog weather instrument is the thermometer. Galileo thermometers use an enclosed glass tube filled with water in which liquid-filled "bubbles" are suspended. As air temperature changes, the glass bubbles move up or down the tube. The glass bubble in the middle is the current temperature. Everyone is familiar with the traditional bulb thermometer. The liquid inside the bulb moves up and down the tube as air temperature changes.
Barometers
- Barometers hint what the weather will be, not what is going on at the moment.
  
  Barometers measure changes in air pressure. Changes in air pressure help predict coming weather such as precipitation. Analog barometers are either mercury filled or aneroid, meaning they use no liquid. Mercury-filled barometers are no longer easily obtainable because of the health and environmental risks associated with mercury. Aneroid barometers use a bellows and a heavy spring that moves up and down in conjunction with the changing air pressure.
Hygrometers
- Hygrometers measure humidity.
  
  Hygrometers measure air humidity. Analog hygrometers use a measuring element such as fine thread or human hair on a spindle that lengthens with increasing humidity and shortens with decreasing humidity. The measuring element in the hygrometer needs to be checked and possibly adjusted -- or replaced -- every few months.
Anemometers
- The faster the wind, the faster they go around.
  
  Anemometers measure wind speed. A basic anemometer has three or four cups mounted on a vertical pole. The cups help catch the wind and the device spins. One of the cups has a magnet; as it revolves, a counter notes each full rotation. The faster the wind, the more rotations and the anemometer registers a higher wind-speed reading.
Rain Gauges
- Rain gauges determine the amount of rain that has fallen over a given time period.
  
  Analog rain gauges sit outside and wait for the rain. The gauges should be placed away from areas that will have runoff during rain, such as trees and homes. The rain gauge should be viewed daily and emptied at the same time to verify the accuracy of the measurement over a 24-hour period.
Weather Vane
- Weather vanes tell from which direction the wind is coming.
  
  Weather vanes tell the direction of the wind. Often thought of as having a rooster as the guiding instrument, there are in fact many variations. The weather vane works by having a larger tail section that is pushed by the wind, pointing the head into the wind, showing the direction from which it is blowing.

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