Weather on the Air: For Meteorology students with broadcast ambitions, a partnership with the Department of Journalism provides real-world experience in front of the camera.

It's still a solid hour before sunrise with sub-zero wind chills, but nothing slows Penn State Meteorology student Ryan Breton on his way to work in Walking Building on the west side of the University Park campus, where a partnership with the Department of Journalism has him receiving hands-on experience in broadcasting. 

On the building's sixth floor—home of the Joel N. Myers Weather Center—Breton starts reviewing weather information from a variety of sources. He's on deadline, working with industry standard computer software to produce on-screen graphics and maps, getting ready to compile a daily video forecast to be used by the "Centre County Report." 

Campus Weather Service Office: The Campus Weather Service office is where students do the weather forecasting and develop television graphics for the broadcast. "If anyone graduates and goes into television, and they've been through Campus Weather Service, they are going to be a pro at making graphics," says Meteorology student Ryan Breton, pictured in the foreground. Image: Michelle Bixby

Campus Weather Service

Breton, a junior from Atkinson, New Hampshire, serves as president of the Campus Weather Service (CWS)—a group of students dedicated to providing free weather forecasts and severe weather alerts to Pennsylvania radio stations, the student newspaper, and C-NET. 

On top of the normal rigors of college, CWS students—about 100 strong—spend their days mapping and sharing our forecast. They can deliver breaking news and even report live from locations around State College when the weather gets dicey. 

"I'd say for a university program, this is about as close to the real thing as you can get," says Breton.

Full Story on PSU.edu Weather on the Air

Feature based on stories by Matt Carroll and Steve Sampsell.