How to Measure the Outdoor Temperature

The outside temperature can affect everything about your day.
••• thermometer image by Alfonso d'Agostino from Fotolia.com

Measuring the temperature outdoors is one of the most basic aspects of weather observation. The outdoor temperature can affect many things about your day; it can even determine whether you'll spend your day indoors or out. Having a thermometer outside can also help determine when plants should be covered or brought inside in the winter. Thermometers are simple to use and come in a wide range of prices, with the more expensive ones offering more functions than simple temperature reading.

    Purchase a thermometer. Depending on the price you want to spend, you can get a simple thermometer or a "weather station" that will tell you various other aspects of the weather (such as wind speed, rainfall amount, and humidity and barometer readings). Some digital thermometers have a remote display that allows you to read the outside temperature from the comfort of inside your home.

    Choose a place outside for your thermometer. For accurate temperature readings, this should be a place that doesn't get direct sunlight but is not in complete shade, since both of those locations can cause an inaccurate temperature readout. Also try to keep the thermometer away from things like concrete, outdoor vents and anywhere snow builds up in wintertime.

    Hang or install your thermometer according to the thermometer's instructions.

    Read your thermometer according to the instructions included with it. If it's a simple thermometer, it will probably have a glass rod with a bit of "mercury" that extends up to the current temperature. A digital thermometer will give you an easy-to-read temperature display.

Related Articles

How to Tell If it Is Humid Without a Hygrometer?
How Do I Calculate the Rise in Temperature?
How to Calculate the Mean Annual Temperature
How to Convert 220 Celsius to Fahrenheit
Proper Location for an Outdoor Thermometer
How to Change a Digital Thermometer to Read Fahrenheit
How to Make a Thermometer for Kids
How to Convert Celsius to Kelvin
How to Calculate Temperature Uncertainty
How to Calibrate an Outdoor Thermometer
Uses for a Temperature Sensor
How to Build a Hygrometer
How to Calibrate a Dial Thermometer
Activities for Teaching Hot & Cold Temperature
Ten Facts on Hot Deserts
The Climate of the Edwards Plateau
How to Make a Greenhouse for a Science Project
What Is a Safe GPU Temperature for a Laptop?
How to Make a Desert Biome in a Shoe Box
How to Read a Weather Forecast

Dont Go!

We Have More Great Sciencing Articles!