Weather station for extreme conditions?

Hey, it's not that windy in Meaford, unSane. I monitored a weather station there for some years, and it managed fine. The right kit is essential, and sadly expensive. I'd recommend getting equipment from http://campbellsci.ca/. They're pretty much standard kit for wind energy work. I believe there are a few working at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CFS_Alert. Now, that's extreme weather.

I'm not in Meaford, but up on the top of the escarpment, highest point for miles around. In the summer it's okay because the trees and the grass take the edge off the ground level winds, but in the winter once the leaves are off the trees and the snow cover is down it gets really in(un)sane up here, to the extent that you are blown off your feet while trying to get to the truck. We certainly had 80 mph gusts this winter so I want a bit of leeway... Thanks for the Campbell link... I was hoping there was something between the consumer units and the full-blown metereological solution.

Campbell products, while pretty bombproof, are also vastly overpriced. Take a look at the http://www.onsetcomp.com/products/weather_stations, available from Onset Computer. I use both Campbell and HOBO dataloggers for work, and although the Campbell stuff is certainly very rugged it is also about 3x the price of the Onset equivalent. (No affiliation, I just buy stuff from them.) Generally Onset support is pretty good -- if you're worried that your weather might be too "extreme" for their stuff, give them a call and ask, I've found them to be pretty realistic about the limitations of their equipment.

unSane, that's still not extreme. The fact that there are trees at all is a giveaway. I've worked places where trees eke out their existence flagged out completely across the ground. But yeah, the escarpment's pretty windy for Ontario. Unfortunately, decent winds and high temperature ranges are harsh on weather sensors. You might get a year out of a cheap anemometer, while an http://www.youngusa.com/, with appropriate annual maintenance, will last decades. Campbell do have a consumer line, http://www.weatherhawk.com/.

I can't recommend a particular instrument, but I bet the folks at the weather station on top of http://www.mountwashington.org/ ("home of the world's worst weather", they say, cheerfully) would tell you what they use.