AWN+ Individual Annual Subscription – Premium Weather Insights
Save 10% on an annual AWN+ Subscription, or save 20% when purchased with an AWN compatible weather station! Unlock premium map layers, 10-day hourly forecasting, degree days, enhanced graphing, SMS alerts, and three years of data storage. AWN+ is the perfect upgrade for any weather enthusiast or a great gift for anyone with a weather station.
Are you part of a Team that can use premium Weather Insights? Try AWN+ for Teams!
Start date: Your subscription will begin on the earlier of (1) the date you activate your subscription; or (2) one year after the date of purchase.
A Whole New Level of Weather Data at your Fingertips!
Tired of juggling multiple apps for weather updates? With the Ambient Weather Network (AWN), everything you need is in one ad-free app. While the free version covers the essentials, upgrading to AWN+ unlocks premium features like advanced map layers, degree day tiles, enhanced graphing, text alerts, and a 10-Day Hourly Forecast—keeping you informed and prepared for whatever the weather brings.
Premium Map Layers
These layers bring advanced, detailed weather insights in one ad-free app, ensuring you're always prepared for whatever weather comes your way.
Air Quality
The Air Quality map layer provides Air Quality Index (AQI) data globally, updated every 12 hours, and categorized from "Good" to "Hazardous." You can view the AQI and its associated category by clicking on the map, making it perfect for planning outdoor activities—especially for those with respiratory issues. You can also view the color overlay on the map to determine your region's AQI category.
Snow Depth
This layer offers snow accumulation data in inches and is updated every 6 hours. You can either view the color-coded map overlay or click on a colored region to access additional details like snow rate, visibility, temperature, wind speed, and more. It's ideal for anyone preparing for snowstorms or planning winter trips, helping you stay ahead of changing winter conditions.
Fires
The Fires map layer displays active wildfires across the U.S. and Canada, with information on fire start date, time, cause, area, and containment percentage. The fire icons on the map show active fires; select any of the icons to gain crucial insights. If you click outside the icons, it will find the nearest fire to that location This map layer is critical for safety and preparedness if you live in a fire-prone region.
Tropical Cyclones
This layer tracks active tropical cyclones such as invests, tropical depressions, tropical storms, hurricanes, and typhoons across the globe. It provides detailed storm data like names, tracks, and forecasts sourced from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC), and Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC). It is essential for those in coastal areas to receive timely information to protect their property and loved ones from severe tropical weather.
River Gauge
The River Gauge map layer updates every hour, tracking river levels and flow rates with data from NOAA's Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS). It delivers critical insights on water height, flow, and potential flood impacts. Whether you're boating, swimming, or fishing, this feature provides real-time data to help you plan your activities safely, ensuring you know the water conditions before heading out. It's also essential for anyone living near rivers or flood-prone areas, helping you stay ahead of flooding risks and take proactive steps to safeguard your home.
Advanced Graphing
Advanced Graphing on AWN+ gives you powerful new ways to view, customize, and share your weather data.
- Multi-Station and Multi-Parameter Graphing: Graph a single parameter across multiple stations or multiple parameters from a single station, all on a single graph. Want to compare temperatures at home and at your favorite vacation spots? Done. Or see how temperature, wind speed, and humidity change over time at your shore house? Done. Simply select up to three stations or three parameters to compare in each graph.
- Multi-Axis Graphing: The multi-axis graph display lets you plot measurements with different units on a single timeline. For instance, while temperature, humidity, and wind speed use separate units, multi-axis graphing enables you to view them together in one unified graph. You can display parameters as either a bar chart or a line chart, and even combine both options in a single graph.
- Improved Graph Controls: The enhanced zoom feature provides a closer look at specific sections of your graph’s timeline. On a desktop, click and drag to select the area you want to zoom into. On the mobile app, just use the pinch-to-zoom gesture. Easily turn parameters or stations off or on by clicking or tapping on the chart legend.
- Organization: You can minimize any Advanced Graph while keeping its name visible for easy access, duplicate any graph to quickly edit the parameters or stations, and rearrange the order of existing graphs using the list order controls.
- Export Your Graphs and Data: Export and share your detailed weather data as a CSV or XLS file, or by saving your graphs as image files.
Bonus Dashboard Tiles
AWN+ includes Growing Degree Days, Cooling Degree Days, and Heating Degree Days tiles. These tiles will empower users to:
- Monitor Energy Usage: Track your building's energy consumption and identify opportunities for savings.
- Optimize HVAC Settings: Receive recommendations on optimal HVAC settings based on local CDD and HDD data.
- Plan Maintenance: Schedule preventive maintenance for your HVAC systems to ensure they operate efficiently throughout the year.
- Manage Agricultural and Gardening Activities: Utilize GDD data to plan and optimize crop schedules for better yield and pest management.
By leveraging CDD, HDD, and GDD data, you can make informed decisions that lead to significant cost savings and a reduced environmental footprint. Upgrade to the premium version of the AWN app today and take control of your energy and agricultural management!
Forecasts and Historical Data
- Extended Hourly Forecasts: Look farther into your weather future with AWN+, from 3 days with AWN’s free tier to a full 10 days of detailed hourly predictions.
- Archived Weather Data: Look farther into your weather past. AWN’s free tier gives you 1 year of historical data for your station, while AWN+ stores up to 3 years of detailed weather data!
Why Choose AWN+?
Subscribing to AWN+ consolidates multiple weather parameters into one seamless experience. No more flipping between apps or dealing with intrusive ads. With the premium layers, you gain:
- Comprehensive Data: Access detailed information that's not available in the free version.
- Enhanced Safety: Stay alert to environmental hazards like poor air quality or nearby fires.
- Convenience: Enjoy an ad-free interface with all the data you need at your fingertips.
Stay Informed, Stay Prepared
Weather can be unpredictable, but your response doesn't have to be. With AWN+, you can make informed decisions, whether rescheduling a hike due to poor air quality or preparing your home for an approaching storm.
Upgrade Today!
Experience the full spectrum of weather insights by subscribing to AWN+.
Visit www.ambientweather.net or download the app on Android or iOS to access the Ambient Weather Network. Once you create a free account and log in, you can upgrade by clicking the AWN+ icon in your menu or on the map. Empower yourself with advanced features and enjoy the simplicity of an all-in-one, ad-free weather app.
Product Questions
We have recently redesigned the Ambient Weather Network Dashboard based on customer feedback requesting a more streamlined experience.
As part of the redesign, the tiles have been updated with rounded corners and the tile banner and menu have a new appearance, as shown in the examples below.
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What is Evapotranspiration?
Evapotranspiration (ET) is a measure of how much water is lost from the soil and plants into the atmosphere. It combines two processes:
- Evaporation: Water evaporating directly from soil, grass, and other surfaces
- Transpiration: Water vapor released by plants through their leaves
Think of ET as "water demand" - on a hot, sunny, windy day, more water evaporates and plants need more water. On a cool, cloudy, calm day, less water is lost.
Why does ET matter?
ET helps you make smart watering decisions:
- Irrigation management: Know exactly how much water your lawn or crops lost today
- Water conservation: Avoid overwatering by replacing only what was lost
- Plant health: Understand when plants are experiencing water stress
- Cost savings: Reduce water bills by watering efficiently
For example, if ET shows 0.25 inches today, that's how much water your lawn needs to replace through rainfall or irrigation.
How do we calculate ET?
We use the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith method, which is the international gold standard for ET calculation. This method was developed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and is trusted by agricultural researchers, irrigation managers, and water agencies worldwide.
What weather data do we use?
Our calculation uses real-time data from your weather station:
- Temperature (high and low) - Drives evaporation rate
- Humidity (high and low) - Lower humidity = more evaporation
- Solar radiation - More sun = more energy for evaporation
- Wind speed - Wind carries away moisture, increasing evaporation
- Your location (latitude and elevation) - Affects solar intensity and air pressure
The calculation process
The Penman-Monteith method considers how energy and moisture move through the atmosphere:
-
Solar energy: We calculate how much sun energy is available to evaporate water, accounting for:
- Time of year (affects sun angle)
- Your latitude (affects day length and intensity)
- Cloud cover (estimated from measured vs. expected solar radiation)
- How much sunlight grass reflects (about 23%)
-
Atmospheric conditions: We determine how "thirsty" the air is by calculating:
- How much moisture the air can hold at current temperatures
- How much moisture is actually in the air (from humidity readings)
- Atmospheric pressure (varies with elevation)
-
Wind effect: We account for how wind speed helps move moisture away from surfaces
-
Energy balance: We combine all these factors using the Penman-Monteith equation to determine the daily water loss in millimeters or inches per day
What assumptions does the calculation make?
To provide a standardized measurement, we make several scientifically-validated assumptions:
Reference crop (grass)
- We calculate ET for a standard grass reference crop - well-watered, 12cm (5 inch) tall grass
- This provides a baseline that works for lawns and can be adjusted for other crops
- Different plants (trees, vegetables, etc.) may use 50-150% of reference ET depending on the crop type
Daily timeframe
- ET is calculated as a daily total (inches or mm per day) that resets at midnight
- The displayed value shows the current day's accumulation so far - it builds throughout the day as temperatures rise, solar radiation accumulates, and conditions change
- ET values are most accurate late in the day (evening/night) when the full daily temperature range and solar radiation have been captured
- Early morning ET values will appear lower because the day's high temperature and peak solar radiation haven't occurred yet
- Soil heat storage is assumed to be negligible over a full day (balances out)
Standard height
- Wind speed is assumed to be measured at or adjusted to 2 meters (6.5 feet) height
- This is the meteorological standard height for wind measurements
Well-watered conditions
- The calculation assumes no water stress - that water is available for plants to use
- Actual evaporation may be lower in drought conditions when soil is very dry
Minimum wind speed
- We use a minimum wind speed of 0.5 m/s (1.1 mph) even if measured wind is lower
- This prevents calculation errors in completely calm conditions and accounts for local air movement
What do the ET values mean?
ET is reported in both millimeters per day (mm/day) and inches per day (in/day).
Important: The ET value you see represents today's total so far since midnight. For the most accurate daily total, check ET in the late evening when the full day's weather conditions have been captured.
Typical ranges (complete 24-hour period):
- Cool/cloudy days: 1-3 mm/day (0.04-0.12 in/day)
- Moderate conditions: 5-7 mm/day (0.20-0.28 in/day)
- Hot summer days: 8-12 mm/day (0.31-0.47 in/day)
- Very hot/windy/dry: Over 12 mm/day (>0.47 in/day)
What if I don't have a lawn?
The reference ET (grass) is still useful! Multiply by a crop coefficient to adjust for your specific plants:
- Turf grass: 0.8-1.0
- Vegetables (mature): 0.9-1.2
- Trees/shrubs: 0.5-0.9
- Flowers: 0.6-1.0
For example, if ET shows 0.30 inches and you have mature tomatoes (coefficient ~1.1), your plants need about 0.33 inches of water.
How accurate is the calculation?
Our implementation has been validated against official FAO-56 test cases with 0.8% accuracy. This means our calculations match the international reference standard to within 1%.
The accuracy of your ET values depends on:
- Sensor quality: Accurate temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and wind readings are essential
- Sensor placement: Sensors should be properly positioned per manufacturer guidelines
- Location settings: Correct latitude and elevation in your station settings
When might ET be unavailable?
ET calculation requires multiple weather parameters. You won't see ET values if your station is missing:
- Solar radiation sensor (required)
- Temperature readings (high and low)
- Humidity readings (high and low)
- Wind speed data
- Location coordinates (latitude) or elevation
Additional resources
For more technical details about the Penman-Monteith method:
- FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper 56 - Official methodology
- FAO Chapter 2: Penman-Monteith equation - Equation details
- University of Florida: ET Calculation Guide - Step-by-step methodology
Need help? If you have questions about your ET readings or want to learn more about using ET for irrigation scheduling, contact our support team.
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