Free Farm Weather Station for Field Planning
Get a National Weather Service forecast for your selected U.S. location, then use the farm planning tools that turn wind, rain, frost, and growing conditions into next steps. This is forecast data, not a sensor installed in your field.
Choose a U.S. location
Use your device location, a city or ZIP, or coordinates. The National Weather Service API covers the United States and U.S. territories only.
Forecast data: National Weather Service. Forecasts describe the selected NWS grid, not a sensor installed on your farm.
Your Farm Weather, in One Place
Enter a location to load the nearest NWS reporting station and the forecast grid for that point.
Wind and spray conditions
Rain chance and forecast timing
Hourly probability of precipitation and quantitative precipitation forecast for the next 48 hours. Totals are forecast rainfall on the NWS grid, not measured rain at your field.
Frost risk and growing degree days
7-day farm operations outlook
| Day | High / Low | Forecast rain | GDD | Frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Load a location to fill the outlook. | ||||
Choose the Right Tool for Today's Field Decision
This page is the forecast console. The tools below finish the job without duplicating each other.
Virtual Farm Weather Station vs. a Physical Station
When a free forecast is enough
Use this page when a National Weather Service forecast for a selected U.S. location is enough to decide whether to open the spray planner, watch a frost-risk window, plan around wind, or review short-term rain risk. Station observations, when shown, come from the nearest NWS network site that actually reports that instrument, not from a box in your field.
When you need weather hardware on site
Install or source an on-site station when a decision depends on conditions at the field, canopy, or sensor height, especially where terrain, distance from the nearest reporting site, irrigation, frost pockets, rainfall totals, soil conditions, leaf wetness, or compliance documentation make a forecast-grid estimate insufficient. The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension 2025 grower guide supports properly sited local stations and lists basic farm-station parameters such as temperature, humidity, wind, solar radiation, and precipitation.
Prices below are listed manufacturer prices observed 2026-08-19. They are an orientation point, not a shopping guide or a guarantee. They exclude installation, mounting, shipping, tax, and add-on sensors unless the seller page says otherwise.
| Need | This free page | Physical on-farm hardware | Practical call |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional temperature, humidity, wind trend, frost risk, GDD, chill-hour projection | NWS forecast grid plus nearest reporting station | Hyperlocal, at sensor height | Virtual station is usually enough for planning. |
| Barometric pressure / frontal trend | Only if an airport-class station nearby reports it; the tile is hidden if none do | Local barometer | Virtual station is useful when a reporting station exists. |
| Summer convective rainfall at the field | Grid QPF (forecast), not a rain gauge | On-site tipping bucket | Buy hardware if pop-up storms routinely miss the airport. |
| Soil temperature and moisture | Air-damped proxy only, labelled as an estimate. NWS does not measure your soil. | In-situ probes | Buy hardware for planting or drip scheduling that depends on soil. |
| Leaf wetness / disease timing | Not measured | Foliage sensor | Buy hardware for strict fungal spray timing. |
| Sub-minute wind gust shutoff | Hourly observation / forecast | Real-time anemometer | Buy hardware for pivot shutoff systems. |
Example listed prices (2026-08-19): Davis lists a cabled Vantage Pro2 option at $625, the wireless Vantage Pro2 with WeatherLink Console at $1,035, and a higher-spec fan-aspirated wireless configuration at $1,455. Ambient Weather lists the Wi-Fi WS-2902 at $199.99. Ecowitt lists the GW3002 from $149.00 and the Wittboy 7-in-1 Wi-Fi station from $179.99. These are not recommendations and are not a complete farm-station market.
Farm Weather Station Questions, Answered
What is a virtual farm weather station?
A virtual farm weather station is a location-based weather view that uses forecast or station-network data instead of a sensor installed on your property. Manley Farms Weather Station uses National Weather Service forecast data for the U.S. location you select and links you to planning tools for spray conditions, wind, frost risk, growing degree days, and streamflow. It does not measure weather at your field.
Is this a real weather station on my farm?
No. This free tool does not install or connect to hardware on your farm. It shows National Weather Service forecast data for your selected location. Use an on-site station when a decision depends on measurements at your property, crop canopy, or sensor location.
Is the Manley Farms weather station free?
Yes. Manley Farms Weather Station is free to use, requires no login, and has no paid tier. It provides browser-based forecast and planning links for a selected U.S. location.
Can I use it to decide when to spray?
Use the weather station page to check the forecast, then open the free Spray Window Planner for a more focused view of wind, rain risk, temperature, and humidity. Always follow the pesticide label and any applicable local requirements. Forecast data is not a substitute for observing conditions at the application site.
Do I need a physical weather station for my farm?
Not always. A location-based forecast can be useful for general planning. You may need physical hardware when your operation depends on actual conditions at the farm, such as rainfall totals, field-specific wind, frost pockets, crop-canopy conditions, soil measurements, or leaf wetness. The right choice depends on the decision, site, and crop.
What weather data does it use?
The page uses the National Weather Service forecast for the U.S. location you select. NWS forecasts are produced for forecast grids, so they are not the same as measurements from a sensor installed on your property.
Can I save weather observations with my farm records?
Manley Farms Records includes a rainfall and weather diary for entries you choose to keep. It is separate from the weather-station forecast page. Review and enter the actual conditions you observed or measured; do not treat a forecast as a past observation.
Keep Planning
Browse all free farm tools. Records stay on this device. Forecasts are a planning aid, not a legal or agronomic guarantee.