As you probably know, computers are here to stay. From bank machines to grocery store check-outs, it seems that we can't even buy a gallon of milk without using a computer. The broadcast meteorology industry relies heavily on this evolving technology. In fact, our WWAY ESP 3 Weather Lab is powered by no less than 12 computers.

Two of these computers are dedicated to the production of weather graphics. All of the maps, pictures, and animations that you see on a daily weathercast are generated through our graphic computers. Each on-air meteorologist designs his/her own show, consistent with individual presentation styles. Naturally, some graphics (such as the 7-Day forecast) have a common color scheme to maintain station consistency. We also have a dedicated computer that allows us to transfer our on-air graphics to our website (wwaytv3.com), and two additional computers to relay this same forecast information to our "24-7" Weather Station on Time Warner Cable Channel 903 (Digital Tuner 3-2).

Naturally, it is important for us to receive the latest computer model and satellite information to plan our daily forecasts. We have 2 computers dedicated to this purpose. During severe storm forecasting, we maintain an exclusive Doppler Radar interface that is powered by 2 computers centered on our main set. It is important for our station to receive any severe products (such as tornado warnings, flood watches etc) issued by the National Weather Service. We have a 3-tier computer alert system that automatically displays warnings on-air instantly.

Needless to say, the maintenance schedule for such a large computer network is exhaustive. Our team can spend many hours each week just keeping up with the daily operation- consolidating files, installing updates/upgrades, and repairing the occasional malfunctions. But in the end, it's worthwhile as long as viewers stay informed when severe weather threatens.