The Penn State Campus Weather Service: Continued Innovation in Social Media on a College Campus

The Penn State Campus Weather Service (CWS) is the oldest and largest student-run forecasting organization in the country, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2022. While CWS can trace its origins back to paper weather maps and the emergence of the personal computer, the organization continues to defy the odds as it adapts to changing times. In the fast paced environment of a college campus, students need quick and convenient access to accurate weather information. Over the past two years, CWS has rapidly expanded its social media presence, now providing daily Pennsylvania weather updates to its thousands of followers almost 365 days a year. In addition to daily posts, the Campus Weather Service has engaged in new trends, including Instagram Reels and TikToks, and created engaging new graphics outside of the traditional aspect ratio. Across all social media platforms, CWS regularly reaches thousands of viewers per day, not only from within Pennsylvania, but from across the rest of the United States as well. In an era that continues to rely increasingly more on digital forms of communication, disseminating weather information through social media channels is more crucial than ever before. The organization and development process behind this content represents an effective model that can be applied elsewhere in the field of weather communications. The Campus Weather Service has long represented the gold standard of student forecasting organizations, and has seamlessly brought this precedent into the social media age.