AccuWeather facts for kids
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AccuWeather headquarters in Ferguson Township, Pennsylvania
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| Private | |
| Industry | Meteorology |
| Genre | Weather forecasting |
| Founded | 1962 |
| Founder | Joel Myers |
| Headquarters |
Ferguson Township, near State College, Pennsylvania
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United States
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Key people
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Joel Myers (executive chairman) Steven Smith (CEO) |
| Services |
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Number of employees
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450+ |
AccuWeather Inc. is an American company that gives weather forecasts to people and businesses all over the world. It is a private company, meaning it is not owned by the government.
AccuWeather was started in 1962 by Joel N. Myers. At that time, he was a student studying meteorology (the science of weather) at Pennsylvania State University. His very first customer was a gas company in Pennsylvania. The company officially became "AccuWeather" in 1971.
AccuWeather's main office is in Ferguson Township, near State College, Pennsylvania. They also have offices in other U.S. cities like New York City, Wichita, and Oklahoma City. Around the world, they have offices in places like Montreal, Tokyo, and Beijing.
Contents
What AccuWeather Does
AccuWeather gives out weather forecasts, warnings, and other weather information. They help many different types of clients. These include news companies, businesses, and even governments. More than half of the biggest companies in the world use their services.
They also run a free website called AccuWeather.com. This website shows weather information and has ads. It is one of the most visited weather websites in the United States.
AccuWeather gets its weather information from many places. They use data from the National Weather Service and other weather groups around the world. They also use their own special computer models to predict the weather. In 2021, AccuWeather had almost 500 employees. More than 100 of these employees are expert weather scientists called meteorologists.
AccuWeather also has its own TV channel called The AccuWeather Network. You can watch it on many cable and streaming services. The channel shows live and recorded weather forecasts. It also shares news about weather events and local weather updates.
In 2006, AccuWeather bought another weather company called WeatherData, Inc. This office in Wichita, Kansas, now has AccuWeather's special severe weather forecasters. These experts help predict dangerous storms.
Company Leaders
As of June 2023, Steven R. Smith is the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of AccuWeather. The company's founder, Dr. Joel N. Myers, is now the executive chairman. Joel Myers' brother, Barry Lee Myers, was also a CEO of the company for many years.
Products and Services
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AccuWeather often provides weather updates for Bloomberg Television. Their experts also appear on other major TV news channels. They give weather forecasts to over 800 radio stations and more than 700 newspapers.
During big storms, TV journalists sometimes ask AccuWeather experts for their opinions. Some AccuWeather meteorologists are well-known, like Bernie Rayno and Brittany Boyer. Jonathan Porter is AccuWeather's Chief Meteorologist. Dan Kottlowski is their main expert on hurricanes.
AccuWeather makes local weather videos every day. You can find these videos on their website and mobile apps. Their mobile app can give you a minute-by-minute forecast. It also lets people share their own weather observations.
In 2015, AccuWeather started working with a Chinese company. This allowed them to share forecasts from China's official weather agency.
AccuWeather also helps businesses use weather information. For example, they can help a store understand how weather affects sales. This helps businesses plan better for future weather events.
The AccuWeather Network
In 2015, AccuWeather launched a new 24/7 TV channel called "The AccuWeather Network". This channel replaced The Weather Channel on some TV providers like Verizon FiOS. It was the third 24-hour weather channel to start in the United States. You can also watch it on other services like DIRECTV and Spectrum TV.
AccuWeather Now
In July 2021, AccuWeather started a new online channel called AccuWeather Now. This channel mainly shows popular weather videos and content shared on social media.
RealFeel Temperature
AccuWeather created its own way to measure how the temperature feels to your body. They call it "The AccuWeather Exclusive RealFeel Temperature." This system considers many things like temperature, wind, humidity, and sunshine. It helps you understand how hot or cold it actually feels outside. AccuWeather has a special patent for this system. Other weather channels, like The Weather Channel, have similar "FeelsLike" temperatures.
Things People Talk About
Long-Term Forecasts
Weather forecasting is very complex. It's generally accepted that it's hard to predict the weather accurately more than one or two weeks ahead. This is because the atmosphere is always changing in unpredictable ways.
AccuWeather has offered forecasts that look 25, 45, or even 90 days into the future. Some studies have shown that these very long-range forecasts are often not very accurate. They can be less accurate than just guessing based on what the weather usually is for that time of year. AccuWeather says that these long forecasts are just for general trends, not exact predictions.
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service (NWS) is a U.S. government agency. It collects a lot of weather data and shares it for free with everyone. AccuWeather uses much of this free NWS data to create its own forecasts, which it then sells to customers.
In 2005, there was a proposal in the U.S. Senate. This proposal would have stopped the NWS from sharing its weather information directly with the public. Some people thought this was an attempt by AccuWeather to make more money by being the only way to get this information. AccuWeather said this was not their intention. The proposal did not become a law.
In 2017, the U.S. President nominated Barry Lee Myers, who was the CEO of AccuWeather, to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA is the parent agency of the National Weather Service. Some people noted that unlike most past leaders, Myers did not have an advanced science degree. He later withdrew his nomination due to health reasons.
Phone App Privacy
In 2017, a problem was found with the AccuWeather iPhone app. It was accidentally sending location information to another company, even when users had said not to share their location. AccuWeather quickly fixed this problem with an update to the app.
See Also
In Spanish: AccuWeather para niños
- Meteorological companies
- Fox Weather
- The Weather Channel
- Skymotion
