Any chance you can share the code?
Specifically whatever the protocol is to talk back to the base.
I have recently been wanting to fix the same issue but caused by ice building up on our sensor.
The sun would melt snow higher in tree limbs, water dripped from above and re freezing on the sensor, breaking it and the cover I had over it.
So far have not done anything since it's a bit more time to work that out than I am willing to invest at the moment.
Then I remembered this post and figured there is the time savings I am looking for.