Why AT’s Weather Contains Subscription-Only Content

We have to start from the beginning to understand where we are today.

In 2010, I became the nation’s first independent meteorologist to launch a fully digital weather operation on social media—featuring an app, a website, and live tornado coverage—that serves all of Oklahoma and surrounding states. I funded and developed everything personally in my spare time because I felt called to serve the public again after retiring from broadcast news in 2007. Along the way, I faced criticism—unfavorable blog posts and even the dismissive label “internet meteorologist” from former television colleagues—but I persisted, exploring my creative ideas each step of the way.

In 2018, social‑media platforms began introducing monetization. Algorithms soon prioritized high‑traffic, sensational content. By 2021, numerous imitators adopted my approach, using dramatic graphics, videos, and exaggerated forecasts to generate impressions and ad revenue. This engagement‑driven model diverged sharply from the science‑based service I envisioned. Without industry oversight, the public often cannot distinguish between credentialed experts and those without formal training, and the resulting confusion conflicts with my core values.

For that reason, I’m transitioning my unique skill set to a private, subscription‑supported format. Doing so prevents others from repackaging my work and frees me from the ad‑based ecosystem that favors quantity over quality. Those who recognize the value of accurate, integrity‑driven forecasting, as well as anxiety-free tornado coverage, are welcome to join me on this new path.

No one has previously placed comprehensive weather content that includes live tornado coverage behind a paywall until now; such services in the industry have been supported by advertisers, taxpayers, or corporate funding. For 15 years, I sustained AT’s Weather with help from a few outstanding sponsors and a few generous followers. Yet we all deserve fair compensation, and as we grow older, our time and well‑being become even more precious. Protecting those resources, while maintaining healthy, reciprocal relationships with my audience, motivates this change.

Thank you for reading and joining the AT’s Weather community.
– AT

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