AccuWeather
Encyclopedia
AccuWeather is an American media company that provides for-profit weather forecasting services worldwide.

AccuWeather was founded in 1962 by Joel N. Myers
Joel N. Myers
Joel N. Myers is founder, president and chairman of the board of AccuWeather, Inc., an American commercial weather service. AccuWeather provides forecasts and data to over 175,000 clients around the world and serves millions more through its free website, AccuWeather.com...

, then a Penn State graduate student working on degrees in meteorology
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...

. His first customer was a gas company in Pennsylvania. While running the company, Myers also became a member of Penn State's meteorology faculty. The company adopted the name "AccuWeather" in 1971.

AccuWeather is headquartered in State College
State College, Pennsylvania
State College is the largest borough in Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Centre County. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 42,034, and roughly double...

, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, with sales offices in Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th and 51st streets in New York City, United States. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National...

 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 and Fort Washington, Pennsylvania
Fort Washington, Pennsylvania
Fort Washington is an unincorporated census-designated place and suburb of Philadelphia in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,446 at the 2010 census.-Prior to the Revolutionary War:...

. In 2006, AccuWeather acquired WeatherData, Inc. of Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...

, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...

. As WeatherData Services, Inc., an AccuWeather Company, the Wichita facility now houses AccuWeather’s specialized severe weather forecasters.

Company profile

AccuWeather markets weather products and services, with 175,000 clients worldwide in media, business and government. It also runs the free, advertising-supported website AccuWeather.com, an online weather provider. The company claims that the AccuWeather brand and weather are presented to over 110 million people every day. AccuWeather employs 404 persons, of whom 113 are meteorologists.

AccuWeather's forecasts and services are based on weather information derived from numerous sources, including weather observations and data gathered by the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...

 and meteorological organizations outside the United States, and from information provided by non-meteorological organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the armed forces.

AccuWeather operates a 24-hour commercially sponsored weather channel known as The Local AccuWeather Channel, which is similar to the now defunct NBC Weather Plus
NBC Weather Plus
NBC Weather Plus was a 24-hour, commercially sponsored, weather-oriented broadcast/cable television network jointly owned by NBC Universal and the local affiliates of the NBC network. It debuted on November 15, 2004 and shut down on December 31, 2008...

. The Local AccuWeather Channel launched in 2006 and is currently on the air in 56 markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Houston.

The regular weather provider for Bloomberg Television
Bloomberg Television
Bloomberg Television is a 24-hour global network broadcasting business and financial news. It is distributed globally, reaching over 200 million homes worldwide. It is owned and operated by Bloomberg L.P...

 and numerous local TV stations, AccuWeather also provides guest commentary on major TV networks. AccuWeather, through the United Stations Radio Networks
United Stations Radio Networks
United Stations Radio Networks is a radio network providing a wide range of programs and programming services for radio stations across the US and elsewhere...

 (previously through Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...

 until 2009), also provides weather for numerous radio stations and newspapers, including WINS (AM)
WINS (AM)
WINS , known on-air as "Ten-Ten Wins", is a radio station in New York City, owned by CBS Radio. WINS's studios are in the combined CBS Radio facility at 345 Hudson Street in the TriBeCa section of Manhattan, and transmitting towers in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.WINS is one of the nation's oldest...

 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, KFWB (AM)
KFWB (AM)
KFWB is a Los Angeles, California AM radio station operating on 980 kHz with 5,000 watts of power from a transmitter site near Lincoln Park . The station had a mostly all-news format from 1968 until September 8, 2009, after which it converted to a news-talk format...

 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 and WBZ (AM)
WBZ (AM)
WBZ is the call sign for an AM radio station in Boston, Massachusetts owned by CBS Radio, itself owned by the CBS Corporation. Originally based in and broadcast from Springfield, Massachusetts, WBZ was the first commercial radio station in the United States...

 in Boston. During severe-weather episodes, AccuWeather experts have been called upon by television journalists such as Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....

, Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera is an American attorney, journalist, author, reporter, and former talk show host...

, and Greta van Susteren
Greta Van Susteren
Greta Van Susteren is an American commentator and television personality on the Fox News Channel, where she hosts On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren...

 for expert commentary. Many of its broadcast meteorologists, such as Elliot Abrams, are known nationally.

AccuWeather produces local weather videos each day for use on their own web site, on the Local AccuWeather Channel, and on wired Internet and mobile web sites. The company is also active in the areas of convergence
Convergence (telecommunications)
Telecommunications convergence, network convergence or simply convergence are broad terms used to describe emerging telecommunications technologies, and network architecture used to migrate multiple communications services into a single network...

 and digital signage
Digital signage
Digital signage is a form of electronic display that shows television programming, menus, information, advertising and other messages. Digital signs can be found in public and private environments, such as retail stores, hotels, restaurants and corporate buildings.Digital signage Displays are most...

. They have added a user-contributed video section to their photo gallery.

Current programming

  • Heads Up! with Bernie Rayno and Ken Reeves (sometimes with Mark Mancuso). Weather to watch out for.
  • Headline Earth with Valerie Smock. Presents discussions of the science behind the global warming debate. (AccuWeather also contributes space on its website for this discussion at www. global-warming.accuweather.com.)
  • Travel Talk with Mary Yoon. Weekly reviews of travel destinations around the U.S.
  • Sports Weather with Violeta Yas. A look at the weather's impact on sports.
  • Weather & Your Wallet with Paul Pastelok and Dale Mohler. How the weather affects your finances.
  • Earth Matters with Alex Rabb. Weekly segments on how to be earth friendly around the clock.
  • Astronomy with Eric Wilhelm. Explores scientific topics related to meteor showers, eclipses, prominent constellations and reports on recent news and events in the field of astronomy.
  • Clear the Air with Evan Myers. Discussion on the impact of weather.
  • Weather 101/Weather Whys with Vanessa Bezic, Alex Rabb, and Adrienne Veilleux. Educational discussions of how the weather happens and how it impacts the world around us.
  • Weather History with Mark Mancuso. How precipitation, temperature, or wind events have influenced the course of history.
  • Point Counterpoint. Offers weather enthusiasts a fresh perspective on the current weather around the country. The Internet's only weather talk show. Now available on the AccuWeather.com Free Site.

Present

  • Amy Aaronson
  • Elliot Abrams
  • Vanessa Bezic
  • Carl Babinski
  • Jack Boston
  • Dave Bowers
  • Brittany Boyer
  • Jeanette Calle
  • Kari Chessario-Smith
  • Dean DeVore
  • Jim Dickey
  • Jim Kosek
    Jim Kosek
    Jim Kosek is an American meteorologist who appears on-camera with AccuWeather in State College, Pennsylvania. Kosek primarily forecasts for the Northeast megalopolis, forecasting for New York City; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; and Washington, DC...

  • Mark Mancuso
    Mark Mancuso
    Mark Mancuso is an American meteorologist formerly employed by The Weather Channel in Atlanta, Georgia and now with AccuWeather in State College, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in Meteorology.-Career:Mark was a meteorologist for WITN-TV in Washington,...

  • Henry Margusity
    Henry Margusity
    Henry Margusity is an American meteorologist.-Early life and education:Henry was born in Glenside, Pennsylvania, on October 18, 1960. He graduated from Octorara High School in 1979. Prior to graduation and pondering his future, it was his sister Nina who, based on his love of weather, suggested he...

  • Paul Pastelok
  • Jon Porter
  • Justin Povick
  • Alexandra Rabb
  • Bernie Rayno
  • Ken Reeves
  • Kerry Schwindenhammer
  • Valerie Smock
  • Dr. Joe Sobel
    Joe Sobel
    Dr. Joe Sobel , a meteorologist, is a native of New York City, New York, USA, and a graduate of George W. Hewlett High School on Long Island. He received his B.S. in meteorology from the University of Michigan in 1967 and an M.S. and Ph.D. in meteorology from the Pennsylvania State University in...

  • Adrienne Veilleux
  • Eric Wilhelm
  • Violeta Yas
  • Mary Yoon

Past

  • Joe Bastardi
    Joe Bastardi
    Joe Bastardi is a weather forecaster known for the plain-speaking style of his forecasts and his opinions on weather and climate change. He is a frequent expert guest on TV news shows.-Biography:...

  • Kate Bilo
  • Angelica Campos
  • Ava Dinges
  • Karah Donovan
  • Katie Fehlinger
  • Raychel Harvey-Jones
  • Maria Molina
  • Nikki Stanzione
  • Lyndsay Tapases
  • Idamis Toledo
  • Katrina Voss

AccuWeather in the profession of meteorology

AccuWeather created a unified value known as "The AccuWeather Exclusive RealFeel Temperature." The formula for calculating this value incorporates the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation and elevation on the human body. AccuWeather has been granted a United States patent on The RealFeel Temperature, but the formula has not been reviewed by other meteorological authorities.

AccuWeather employees who have been recognized for their services to the profession of meteorology include:
  • Elliot Abrams, AccuWeather Chief Forecaster and Senior Vice President, is both a Certified Consulting Meteorologist
    Certified Consulting Meteorologist
    Certified Consulting Meteorologist is the title of a person designated by the American Meteorological Society and to possess the attributes of Knowledge, Experience, and Character as they pertain to the field of meteorology...

     and a Seal of Approval holder for both radio and television from the American Meteorological Society
    American Meteorological Society
    The American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...

    . He is a member of the AMS Board of Certified Consulting Meteorologists, a Fellow of the AMS, and winner of the 1993 AMS award for Outstanding Service by a Broadcasting Meteorologist. In 1996, the National Weather Association
    National Weather Association
    The National Weather Association is an American professional association with a mission to support and promote excellence in operational meteorology and related activities...

     named Abrams "Broadcaster of the Year". In 1994, he won the AMS Charles L. Mitchell Award for “outstanding and unique dissemination of weather forecasts to the nation’s public by radio and television.” Abrams is co-inventor of the AccuWeather Exclusive RealFeel Temperature.

  • Dr. Joe Sobel
    Joe Sobel
    Dr. Joe Sobel , a meteorologist, is a native of New York City, New York, USA, and a graduate of George W. Hewlett High School on Long Island. He received his B.S. in meteorology from the University of Michigan in 1967 and an M.S. and Ph.D. in meteorology from the Pennsylvania State University in...

    , AccuWeather Senior Vice President, was recognized in 2004 by the AMS for Outstanding Service as a Broadcast Meteorologist. Dr. Sobel is co-inventor of the AccuWeather Exclusive RealFeel Temperature.

  • Michael R. Smith, CEO of WeatherData Services, Inc., an AccuWeather company, is a Fellow of the AMS. In 1992, he won the American Meteorological Society's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Applied Meteorology and shared in WeatherData's 2000 Award for Outstanding Service to Meteorology by a Corporation.

  • AccuWeather CEO Barry Lee Myers
    Barry Lee Myers
    Barry Lee Myers is a native of Philadelphia, PA. A graduate of Philadelphia's Central High School, he received his B.S. in business administration and economics from the Pennsylvania State University and his J.D. from Boston University School of Law...

     has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Commercial Weather Services Association, the private weather industry's trade association, since 1990, serving as chief federal-relations officer. He also has served as advisor to the director of the U.S. National Weather Service
    National Weather Service
    The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...

     at World Meteorological Organization
    World Meteorological Organization
    The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...

     meetings.

  • Dr. Joel N. Myers
    Joel N. Myers
    Joel N. Myers is founder, president and chairman of the board of AccuWeather, Inc., an American commercial weather service. AccuWeather provides forecasts and data to over 175,000 clients around the world and serves millions more through its free website, AccuWeather.com...

    , AccuWeather Founder, Chairman and President, was awarded the National Weather Association
    National Weather Association
    The National Weather Association is an American professional association with a mission to support and promote excellence in operational meteorology and related activities...

    ’s Operation Achievement Award in 2004. Dr. Myers was recognized in 1997 as one of the 528 greatest entrepreneurs in American history in Entrepreneur Magazine
    Entrepreneur Magazine
    Entrepreneur is a publication that carries news stories about entrepreneurialism, small business management, and business opportunities. It is published by Entrepreneur Media Inc., headquartered in Irvine, California....

    ’s Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurs
    .

Criticisms

The National Weather Service (NWS) states as its mission the following: "The National Weather Service provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. NWS data and products form a national information database and infrastructure which can be used by other governmental agencies, the private sector, the public, and the global community."

AccuWeather and other members of the Commercial Weather Services Association have from time to time criticized the NWS for what they have claimed is a lack of focus on this mission, often exemplified by NWS activities that are claimed to compete with the private weather companies.

On April 14, 2005 U.S. Senator Rick Santorum
Rick Santorum
Richard John "Rick" Santorum is a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference -making him the third-ranking Senate Republican from 2001 until his leave in 2007. Santorum is considered both a social...

 (R-PA) introduced the "National Weather Service Duties Act of 2005
National Weather Service Duties Act of 2005
The National Weather Service Duties Act of 2005 was a legislative proposal forwarded in April 2005 by now former United States Senator Rick Santorum to curtail perceived government competition with commercial weather services from the National Weather Service...

" in the U.S. Senate. The legislation would have placed into federal law a definition of the duties of the NWS similar to its stated mission and would have prohibited the NWS from providing products or services for free that the private sector is willing and able to provide (S. 786). The bill, which did not garner a single co-sponsor, did not come up for a vote.

AccuWeather received criticism for its support of the legislation. Santorum received campaign contributions from AccuWeather's president, Joel Meyers, a frequent contributor to Republican candidates.

In popular culture

  • In the animated show Family Guy
    Family Guy
    Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...

    , the weather report on the news is dubbed BlaccuWeather.
  • AccuWeather is mentioned in the movie Ice Age: The Meltdown
    Ice Age: The Meltdown
    Ice Age: The Meltdown, also known as Ice Age 2: The Meltdown or simply as Ice Age 2, is the 2006 sequel to the 2002 computer-animated film Ice Age. It was produced by Blue Sky Studios for 20th Century Fox, and premiered in Belgium on March 1, 2006...

    .

AccuWeather software


Reviews

  • AccuWeather Releases Spanish-Language Widgets - Hispanic PRWire
  • PC World Ten Must-See iPhone Apps (including AccuWeather iPhone app) http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,135586-c,iphone/article.html
  • AccuWeather.com 15-day forecast widget for iPhone and Mac OS X users iPhone app: Accuweather.com | iPhone Atlas - CNET Reviews
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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