How to Host a WeeWX Weather Station Website

WeeWX can generate a weather website, but it does not choose the hosting for you. Its report engine creates HTML and image files, then you either serve those files from the same machine or copy them to a web server. The WeeWX documentation describes both routes.

There are three sensible ways to put a WeeWX station online:

1. Serve the generated reports from the computer running WeeWX.
2. Upload the generated reports to a separate web host with FTP or rsync.
3. Keep WeeWX for collection and archive data, but send its readings to a managed weather website.

The right choice depends on whether you want to manage the public site, not whether you want to keep using WeeWX.

Option 1: Serve WeeWX reports from the same machine

This is the smallest setup if the computer running WeeWX can also run a web server and is reachable from the internet. WeeWX supports common web servers such as Apache, nginx and lighttpd, according to its web-server guide.

You are responsible for the parts outside WeeWX: a domain, HTTPS, router or firewall rules, software updates and backups. This is a good fit if you already operate a home server and want full control of the generated skin.

Option 2: Upload reports to a separate web host

If you do not want to expose the WeeWX computer, have it generate reports locally and transfer the resulting files to a hosting account. WeeWX includes both FTP and rsync report services. The reports are generated first, then the transfer runs, so the remote host receives the finished HTML and images.

The WeeWX reference notes that rsync uses SSH with public-key authentication and is an incremental transfer. FTP is available where that is what the host supports. Either way, check that a newly generated report is reaching the public host after updates, network changes and credential rotations.

This route keeps the visual freedom of a WeeWX skin. It also leaves you with two systems to maintain: the machine collecting weather data and the host serving the files.

Option 3: Keep WeeWX, use a managed public site

Choose this if you want WeeWX to keep reading the station and keeping its local archive, but you do not want to run the public website. Pro Weather accepts a WeeWX Weather Underground upload as a data source, then publishes the weather site, custom domain and HTTPS for you.

This is not a way to upload an existing WeeWX skin. The skin stays on your machine. Pro Weather renders its own responsive site from the readings it receives. That trade-off removes server and file-transfer upkeep, but it also means you cannot edit the site as a WeeWX template.

To connect it:

1. Create a site and enable hardware ingest on its Connection tab.
2. Copy the personal upload URL.
3. Add it as the server_url of WeeWX's [[Wunderground]] service.
4. Confirm Last data received in Pro Weather, then publish the site.

The exact configuration is in Connect other hardware. WeeWX's own documentation confirms that its Weather Underground uploader is a RESTful service configured under StdRESTful.

Bring your old WeeWX history with you

If you choose the managed-site route, a new destination should not mean losing years of readings. Pro Weather can import a WeeWX SQLite archive from weewx.sdb; the database is parsed in your browser and the original file stays on your computer. Read the requirements and re-run behaviour in Import your WeeWX history.

You can also leave WeeWX running after the import. It continues to hold the local archive while its uploads keep the public site current.

Which hosting route should you choose?

If you are still deciding whether WeeWX itself is the right collection engine, read Pro Weather vs WeeWX. If you already have WeeWX and only need the public-site decision, start with the three options above and choose the one whose maintenance you are happy to own.

Common questions

Can I host a WeeWX website on shared hosting?

Yes. Generate the reports on the machine running WeeWX, then upload them to the shared host with FTP or rsync if the host supports it. The host only needs to serve the generated files; WeeWX itself stays on the collector.

Does Pro Weather host my WeeWX skin?

No. Pro Weather does not serve the HTML, images or templates generated by a WeeWX skin. It takes weather readings from WeeWX and renders a Pro Weather site instead.

Can I keep WeeWX while using Pro Weather?

Yes. WeeWX can continue collecting locally and send readings to Pro Weather. You can also import its existing SQLite archive, so the hosted charts start with your earlier history rather than an empty record.

Is rsync better than FTP for a WeeWX website?

It depends on the host. WeeWX describes rsync as an SSH-based incremental transfer, while FTP is available for hosts that require it. Use the protocol your host supports and verify that the public files update after a new report is generated.