It seems most people buy portable weather stations to forecast. In my opinion they are only marginally better than the old Mark I Eyeball for that purpose. They are useful for passing the time while confined to a tent during a storm, however, as well as for tracking data.
The Kestrel is arguably the most competent of these tools, with features like a temperature sensor that is exposed directly to the air instead of being encased in plastic, and a maximum temperature range of -49F to 257F. The liquid crystal display will not work much below zero, but it will still record data.
The interface is intuitive and customizable, and the impeller is a $19 user-replaceable part. It’s waterproof, it floats and it weighs only 4oz. There’s an optional personal computer interface for $70.