Use Cases¶

Start here if you installed Weather Station Core and want a useful automation in the next 10 minutes.

All examples assume the default ws entity prefix. If you chose a different prefix during setup, replace sensor.ws_... with your own entity IDs.

Know before rain starts¶

Best for: laundry outside, skylights, open windows, dog walks, school pickup.

Enable Precipitation Nowcast under Configure -> Features. This creates sensor.ws_minutes_until_rain.

alias: Rain starts soon
description: Notify when Weather Station Core expects rain within 10 minutes.
mode: single
trigger:
  - platform: numeric_state
    entity_id: sensor.ws_minutes_until_rain
    below: 10
condition:
  - condition: numeric_state
    entity_id: sensor.ws_minutes_until_rain
    above: 0
action:
  - service: notify.mobile_app_your_phone
    data:
      title: Rain soon
      message: Rain is expected in {{ states('sensor.ws_minutes_until_rain') }} minutes.

Prefer no YAML? Import the bundled Rain Start Warning blueprint for rain-rate and probability alerts.

Skip irrigation when nature already helped¶

Best for: smart irrigation, garden beds, lawns, balconies with drip irrigation.

Use the bundled Irrigation Rain Skip blueprint when possible. It already combines recent rain and rain probability.

For Smart Irrigation, map one of these sensors:

Need	Entity
Best ET0 when solar radiation is mapped	`sensor.ws_et0_pm_daily`
ET0 without solar radiation	`sensor.ws_et0_daily`
Today's measured rainfall	`sensor.ws_rain_today`
Soil-aware demand score	`sensor.ws_irrigation_need_score`

Protect awnings and blinds from wind¶

Best for: awnings, exterior blinds, pergolas, shade sails.

Use the bundled High Wind Gusts blueprint for cover retraction. It is safer than a raw automation because it already has inputs for covers and thresholds.

Good starting thresholds:

Hardware	Start with
Light fabric awning	`sensor.ws_wind_gust` above 10-12 m/s
Exterior venetian blinds	`sensor.ws_wind_gust` above 12-15 m/s
Heavy-duty awning	Check the manufacturer rating first

Warn before frost¶

Best for: plants, exposed pipes, greenhouses, outdoor taps.

Use the bundled Freeze Warning blueprint for temperature-triggered alerts.

For a more weather-aware dashboard tile, watch:

Entity	What it tells you
`sensor.ws_frost_risk`	Human-readable frost risk category
`sensor.ws_frost_point`	Temperature where frost can form
`sensor.ws_frost_streak`	Consecutive frost days

Close windows when air quality gets bad¶

Best for: smoke, dust, city pollution, pollen-sensitive households.

Enable Air Quality under Configure -> Features. Then use the bundled Poor Air Quality blueprint to notify, close covers, or turn on fans/purifiers.

Core entities:

Entity	Use
`sensor.ws_air_quality_index`	Main AQI decision sensor
`sensor.ws_pm2_5`	Smoke and fine particles
`sensor.ws_pm10`	Dust and coarse particles
`sensor.ws_ozone`	Ozone exposure

Choose your first feature pack¶

You care about	Enable
Rain countdown	Precipitation Nowcast
Garden watering	Comfort Indices, Soil Sensors, Solar Forecast
Fire season	Fire Risk, FWI Components
Heat stress	Comfort Indices
Storms	Lightning Detection, Thunderstorm Risk
Dashboards and TTS summaries	Display Sensors
Data confidence	Station Diagnostics