WCCO Weather Watcher Network Celebrates 10 Years
MINNEAPOLIS – This Sunday, we're celebrating a very special anniversary at WCCO.
Nov. 27, 2022 marks 10 years since our Weather Watcher Network began.
Director of Meteorology and NEXT Weather Meteorologist Mike Augustyniak started the program in 2012, and it's been growing ever since.
We've received nearly 1 million weather reports that were featured in nearly 20,000 newscasts from more than 2,000 individual WCCO viewers.
"That goes to just how passionate Minnesotans are, not only about the weather, but their community, too," Augustyniak said. "Because this is not just about sharing facts, figures and data. This is about people in the community, out in the community enjoying and reporting the weather information back to us here so we can share it with everybody else."
From measuring rain and snow to sharing photos and videos, WCCO Weather Watchers are the eyes and ears of their community and help increase accuracy in our forecasts.
Kay Olson and Maxine Schroeder are longtime Weather Watchers in Aikin.
"I can't go in town to the grocery store without someone going, 'I saw you on TV!'" Schroeder said. "Well, I have to keep this little town on the map, you know!"
She said she recalls sending in reports in July of 2016 when her area received a lot of rain.
"One of your meteorologists got a hold of us and wanted to know if we were OK," Schroeder said. "I mean, that's really cool!"
Greg Boe in Chanhassen also started sending in weather reports in the early days of the program. He continues sending them daily, now almost 10 years later.
"It's still just fun to have your name come across the bottom of the screen, and more importantly your community," Boe said. "Folks like to see that."
Kathy Born reports from Blaine and is also a longtime Weather Watcher.
"When there's a thunderstorm I'm right on top of it. I love reporting it and when you can go on there and see what everyone else is talking about, and you kind of get to know them, even though, you know, you don't know them personally," Born said.
There's many different reasons Weather Watchers choose to dedicate their time to their community, but all share a passion for weather.
"The fact that we have people that span the clock from 4:30 in the morning until 11 o'clock in the evening, weekends, holidays," Augustyniak said. "That's true dedication, and really speaks to just how passionate people are about the weather around here."
If you have a thermometer and a rain gauge, you can apply to be a part of this dedicated "weather army" by clicking here.
