A barometer is a nifty device that fluctuates with atmosphere pressure and can sometimes help judge weather patters. They were often used on ships at sea.
California Buoy Report is an amazing website for surfers, mariners, kayakers, fisher-people, abalone pickers, and anyone interested in the Pacific Coast.
A cool trick to measure the distance of lightning from your location is to start counting when you see a flash and divide by five when you hear thunder.
