The Campus Weather Service provides an array of services to the community. We provide our forecasts free of charge over various media. We currently provide forecasts to radio stations across central and northwest Pennsylvania, to the student newspaper, the Collegian, and our video team is active with C-NET. We also provide our radio clients with fast severe weather alerts as they become available. To learn more about a certain one of these areas, please click on their respective links. To take advantage of these services, please contact us; we would be happy to provide free weather forecasts for your business as well. Thank you for visiting the Campus Weather Service website.

[ Radio | Video | Severe Weather | Newspaper | Web ]

CWS Radio Operations

Today, Radio Operations has well over 100 members and runs 365 days a year. Our mission is to serve the community and provide valuable experience for our members. We accomplish our goals by having the latest equipment and dedicated, hard working members.

During the fall and spring semesters, CWS runs four shifts during the week and two on weekends (and when school is not in session). Upperclassmen with forecasting experience run the shifts. These "shift managers" help other shift members analyze the weather conditions affecting the forecast area.

After a discussion of the days weather events, a consensus forecast is then agreed upon and is used as a base for all our client's needs. Each forecast is then customized for each individual client. A discussion of the weather systems effecting the weather is also written to provide a general synopsis of the weather. Finally, at regularly scheduled times our clients receive our forecast. There are several options to receive their forecasts, depending on their capabilities and ours. Our state of the art radio booth provides clear and professional quality broadcasts that our clients can disseminate over their airwaves. For clients other that radio stations, we can email forecasts to them and discuss specific issues that could affect their business.


Our biggest asset is our flexibility. Because we serve only a limited number of clients, we have the ability to cater to the individual needs of all our clients, no matter how diverse. To top it all off, our service is completely free. From the smallest student radio station to the largest amusement park in the region, CWS Radio provides what the client needs- accurate, up-to-date forecast products. We also provide for the needs of our students by offering them a forum to practice their broadcasting and forecasting skills. Whether you are a student or the head of a large radio station, you can benefit for being a part of CWS.

CWS Video Operations

In the mid 1980's CWS began to branch off into the video field to provide students with practical on-air television experience. In the Fall of 1999, a television studio was built on the fifth floor of Walker Building, allowing CWS members the chance to gain real studio experience. In addition, six WeatherPro graphics machines were also installed. These machines are the same as those used by The Weather Channel and many television stations across the country. Students, in their first year with CWS Video, work together with 2-4 other students in the television studio to produce weather graphics and record a 3-minute weathercast. This presentation is used for an introductory meteorology class for non-majors. The students show regional and national observations, a look at the current surface map, a forecast for the next three days, and any other imagery of special weather phenomena going on elsewhere in the United States.

Students can then move on to the C-NET portion of CWS Video. For C-NET, students produce a 3 and a half minute long weathercast showed on a government access channel in the State College area. Students are responsible for the entire show, including running the video equipment in the television studio, writing the forecast, creating the graphics, and being the on-air personality. This is an excellent way to gain on-air experience and make a resume tape for students interested in becoming broadcast meteorologists.

CWS Severe Weather Operations

Throughout its history, Campus Weather Service has realized that severe weather monitoring is essential in providing our clients with the best ongoing weather coverage. For this purpose, the Severe Weather Committee was formed. The Severe Weather Committee is on call 24 hours a day in order to inform our clientele of any watch, warning, or advisory issued by the National Weather Service affecting our coverage area.

The committee consists of volunteers from the Campus Weather Service who are always on call to provide up to the minute severe weather coverage. The VP of Severe Weather and various committee members constantly monitor current conditions for the potential risk of severe weather outbreaks in the area. Once a special statement is issued by the NWS, the committee springs in to action!

By congregating in the Weather Station on the sixth floor of the Walker Building, the Severe Weather Committee has access to the latest information, maps and imagery provided by the latest high-tech computer systems which keep them updated on the constantly changing conditions. Information is then immediately relayed to clientele. By holding shifts in the weather station, committee members can also keep clientele informed of changes in the conditions through live broadcasts at a client's demand. Keeping abreast of the situation helps insure that our clients get the most up-to date and complete coverage of severe weather when it strikes.

CWS Newspaper Operations

Since August 3, 1998, Campus Weather Service has provided the official weather page of The Daily Collegian, the newspaper independently published by students at Penn State. Through this partnership, Campus Weather Service is able to provide its forecasts to a majority of Penn State's student body of over 40,000 students and the local community.

The weather page contains a brief synopsis of the current weather with a broad outlook of what can be expected for the region in the near-future. Readers can plan their week by utilizing Campus Weather Service's 5-Day forecast included on the page as well. For those readers planning to travel in the state, the weather page also provides forecasts for various cities across Pennsylvania.

Aside from the forecasts, Campus Weather Service also includes additional weather features that may be useful to the readers on its newspaper weather page. One feature includes the almanac of current climate data for State College, featuring sunrise/sunset, normal temperatures, and record temperatures for the day, with the current precipitation amounts, the normal precipitation amounts, and the temperature departure from normal for the month.

CWS Web Operations

Weather is one of the most popular uses of the internet. The Campus Weather Service Web Committee creates and maintains several web pages for client organizations. The forecasts on these pages are updated four times a week on weekdays and twice a day on the weekends. Links to our current clients are listed below.

The Campus Weather Service will design a weather page to your specifications for you.

The Digital Collegian

If your company would like the Campus Weather Service to supply your forecasts, send a request using our email form. This is a free service!