[Vineyard & Winery Elf EN](https://help.vineyardelf.com/index.md) / [Weather](https://help.vineyardelf.com/weather.md)

# [Weather Station - monitoring atmospheric conditions](https://help.vineyardelf.com/pogoda/weather-station-monitoring-atmospheric-conditions.md)

## Why do I need a weather station in the system?

Weather data is the foundation of everything in VineyardElf:
- **Disease models** need temperature and humidity
- **Frost protection** requires accurate readings
- **Alerts** depend on current conditions

You can connect your own Ecowitt station or use online data - pick whatever works for you!

## What are my options?

### Option 1: Ecowitt station (recommended)

Got an Ecowitt station? Great! Connect it to VineyardElf:

1. When creating a Weather Station, choose **Ecowitt**
2. Enter the **Application Key** and **API Key** from the Ecowitt console
3. The system will fetch the data automatically

**How do I get Ecowitt keys?**
1. Log in at [ecowitt.net](https://www.ecowitt.net)
2. Go to **Settings > API Keys**
3. Generate new keys

### Option 2: Shelly thermometer

Got a Shelly sensor (e.g. Shelly H&T)? You can use it too:

1. When creating a Weather Station, choose **Shelly**
2. Enter the device's IP address on your local network
3. The system will poll the sensor for temperature and humidity

### Option 3: Open-Meteo data (free)

No station? We fetch weather data for your location from the internet:

1. When creating a Weather Station, enter your **vineyard location**
2. The system automatically pulls data from Open-Meteo

**IMPORTANT:** Online data is less accurate than a dedicated station - especially for temperature. For frost protection we recommend your own sensor!

## What does the weather widget show?

On the dashboard you'll see:

**Current values:**
- Air temperature
- Humidity
- Atmospheric pressure
- Wind speed and direction
- Total rainfall (today)

**History** - a temperature chart from recent measurements

**Forecast** from Open-Meteo for the coming days

## Which parameters are used?

| Parameter | What it's used for |
|-----------|--------------------|
| Temperature | Disease models, frost |
| Humidity | Fungal infection risk |
| Dew point | Frost forecasting |
| Rainfall | Downy mildew model |
| Leaf wetness | Disease models (if the station measures it) |

## Tips

- **Place the temperature sensor at shoot height** (50-80 cm) - the temperature near the ground can be different!
- **Check regularly** that the station is working - the system alerts you when data is missing
- **Compare with the forecast** - if the values differ a lot, there may be a problem with the sensor

## Problems?

**No data from the Ecowitt station?**
- Check that the station is online at ecowitt.net
- Verify the API Keys
- Make sure the station is sending data to the cloud

**No data from Shelly?**
- Check that the device is on the network
- Verify the IP address
- Check that Shelly Cloud is configured

**Strange readings?**
- Clean the sensors (dust, cobwebs)
- Check the batteries in wireless sensors
- Compare with another thermometer

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## Related articles

- [Disease monitor](/kb/vineyard-elf/monitor-chorob-4-modele-predykcyjne-DzWeasYW)
- [Frost protection](/kb/vineyard-elf/ochrona-przed-przymrozkami-automatyczne-zraszanie-c13W2RGp)
- [Dashboard](/kb/vineyard-elf/dashboard-podglad-danych-i-sterowanie-winnicy-XNkpfXCF)
- [Alerts](/kb/vineyard-elf/alerty-powiadomienia-o-zagrozeniach-dla-winnicy-AsSsJEDh)