Why are the rain totals different between my weather station display and the La Crosse View App?
How data is transferred from external sensors
To Weather Station Displays
La Crosse Technology Wi-Fi-compatible weather stations can be used as stand-alone stations or connected to Wi-Fi. In either case, external sensors transmit their data to in-range weather station displays via local radio connections (not via Wi-Fi).
All values except rain accumulations are real-time values that display current conditions.
Rain accumulation is calculated as the rain sensor sends its "tip" data. A "tip" occurs each time the rocker in the sensor tips from one side to the other.
Data transmits to the stations in real-time as long as the sensor is within range of the display and has sufficient battery power.
To the La Crosse View App
When connected to Wi-Fi, La Crosse Technology Wi-Fi-compatible weather stations pass data directly from the external sensors to the La Crosse View App servers. The App does NOT connect to the display or get values from the display. This is why data can be viewed in the App when away from home and not near the display.
Data transmits to the servers as long as the sensor is within range of the display, has sufficient battery power AND the station is connected to Wi-Fi. If the connection to Wi-Fi is disrupted, data will not be able to be transmitted until the connection is restored.
All data values except rain accumulation are "moment-in-time" values that display current conditions AS OF THE TIME THE SERVERS RECEIVED THE DATA.
Rain accumulation is calculated as the rain sensor records "tips". A "tip" occurs when the rocker inside the sensor tips from one side to the other. The "tips" are added up and reported AS OF THE TIME THE SERVERS RECEIVED THE DATA AND THE SENSOR PAGE IN THE APP IS REFRESHED. If the sensor page in the App is open, tap the refresh icon to prompt a refresh.
Why are there differences between rain accumulation on the display and in the App?
Connection Issues
Ex. 1 If the station is disconnected from Wi-Fi for a period of time, this can lead to data values being missed entirely (as in the case of a wind gust spike) or reported later (as in rain totals).
Ex. 2 If more than one display is connected to Wi-Fi and a sensor is within range of one display and not another, the data can still pass through the second display to the server creating a discrepancy between the first display and the app.
Timing
When looking at rain totals several time-based buckets are used: 1 hour, 24 hours, 7 days, month, year. The logic used when viewing and totaling the data is slightly different between station displays and the App. This is necessary as the app can be used when traveling in different time zones and the calculations need to accommodate this.
1 HOUR
Q: How is the 1-hour rainfall total calculated?
A: Both the display and the app calculate rainfall using a rolling 60-minute total. This means the value represents all rain that occurred in the past 60 minutes from the current moment, not based on set hourly intervals like 6:00 to 7:00.
Example: At 6:49 AM, the 1-hour rainfall total includes rain that fell between 5:50 AM and 6:49 AM. As time passes and no new rain occurs, this total will gradually decrease as older rain values drop out of the 60-minute window.
Q: Why might the 1-hour totals be different between the display and the app?
A: Differences often arise due to network conditions. If there's an internet issue during a storm:
-
The display will still show live rain data as long as it's within radio range of the sensor.
-
The app, however, depends on the weather station transmitting data to the cloud. If this doesn’t happen in real time, the 1-hour total could lag or be missing recent rainfall until:
-
The internet connection is restored,
-
The server receives the backlogged data, and
-
The sensor page in the app is refreshed.
-
This makes timing discrepancies more noticeable with the 1-hour total than longer-range totals (like 24-hour rainfall), where short delays are less impactful.
Q: What can I do if my app readings seem off?
A: Here are some steps to try:
-
Ensure your weather station is online and the internet connection is stable. Refer to your specific weather station's setup guide for specific instructions.
-
Try refreshing the sensor page in the app by tapping the refresh button to retrieve the most current data from the servers.
-
Remember that 1-hour totals are most sensitive to gaps in data transfer.
24 HOUR
Q: How does the display calculate the 24-hour rainfall total?
A: The display uses a fixed hourly update system. It refreshes at the top of every hour and shows rainfall accumulation over the past 24 hours, ending exactly at that update time. For example, at 11:15 AM today, the display will show rainfall from 11:00 AM yesterday to 11:15 AM today. Rain that occurred between 11:00–11:15 AM yesterday will be included in the totals.
Q: How does the app calculate the 24-hour rainfall total?
A: The app uses a rolling 24-hour window that is triggered from the moment the sensor page is refreshed and data is received from the server. If you refresh the app at 11:15 AM, it will show total rainfall reported to the servers from 11:15 AM yesterday to 11:15 AM today. Rain that occurred between 11:00-11:15 AM yesterday will NOT be included in the totals.
This chart demonstrates how the different ways of accounting for 24 hours can affect the timing of the readings. The over-all pattern of the rainfall is consistent but the timing of the values between the app and the display can differ.
NOTE: This chart assumes the user is looking at the app (refreshing the page) every 30 minutes to pull the most recent data. The server will be updated as data is provided, but the app, if sitting open, may need to be refreshed. (The data in the app does refresh automatically upon opening the app).
7 DAYS
The display's logic and the App logic is different here also. The display is a rolling total for a 7 day period. It updates at midnight each day with the total. The App total is based on a rolling 7 X 24 hour periods and the total of all the individual readings during that time.
MONTH
The display is a total of a calendar month. For example, if today is the 15th of the month, the Month total displayed is from the 1st to the 14th and after midnight the 15th will be included. The App does not currently display a 1-month total.
YEAR
The display shows all the rainfall for the current month and the past 11 months combined. The App does not currently show a total for one year. Optionally, some App subscription levels allow for downloading the historical data for one year into a .CSV file which can be opened in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets for more detailed analysis.