Most weather stations are protected by a shield or are located in some sort of instrument shelter, which is located a distance above the ground to keep it from reading temperatures as cooler than they are. The shield or shelter itself keeps the thermometer out of the sun and therefore makes the reading more accurate in terms of actual air temperature. If the thermometer was in the sun, the reading would reflect the heat discharged from the casing of the thermometer and not the actual air temperature.

Because of this, it’s important to take into account the sky forecast as well. A cloudy day will feel more like the forecasted temperature, whereas a sunny day can feel much warmer if you are going to be out in direct sunlight.

One more factor to consider is the heat index. This is based on the humidity and can also affect how warm you may feel on a particular day. The “real feel” temperature readings are based on how you feel in the sunshine and with humidity factored in.