From Penn State, This is Weather World: 40 Years of Innovation and Education

Penn State’s weekday weather and climate magazine broadcast, Weather World, has been educating generations of students and Pennsylvanians about the atmosphere for more than four decades. With foundations dating back to the late 1950s, Weather World launched in its current standalone 15-minute format in 1983. By combining the regular short-, medium-, and long-range forecast segments with in-depth looks at timely weather and climate headlines, the program has uniquely connected with a large statewide audience, most notably within the agricultural community. While faculty in the Penn State Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science have served as primary showrunners throughout the history of Weather World, undergraduate and graduate students have also been increasingly involved with forecasting and show production. With a mission to educate through innovative weather and climate content, students and faculty involved with the show use real-world techniques and technology to explain the complexities of the atmosphere in an approachable and accessible way. Adding to its legacy, the show has served as a springboard for students pursuing careers in forecasting, broadcasting, academia, and more. Despite changes in technology, personnel, and production over the past 40 years, Weather World has proven to be an adaptable advertisement for science and an effective educational outreach for Penn State.