Channel 4 Takes Weather Forecasting to the Classroom

KNBC weather newscasters Christopher Nance and Fritz Coleman broadcast their weather reports live from Stephen White Middle School in Carson Monday to introduce the first of 40 Channel 4 WeatherNet sites, which will be installed at schools in Southern California to help students learn math, science and meteorology.

WeatherNet is a network of automated weather stations that will provide the news channel with up-to-the-second weather data from each school, while providing a mechanism that teachers can use to enhance their lessons. Coleman and Nance demonstrated how WeatherNet works on Monday as they delivered their weather reports from the school.

As part of WeatherNet, a joint partnership between Arco and Channel 4, schools receive indoor / outdoor auxiliary temperature sensors, a barometer, rain gauge and light sensor, among other equipment. Using the program, they will be able to access weather information from more than 70 school sites across the United States, Canada and New Zealand.

“The trick to teaching math and science these days is to take it out of the textbook and make it real,” said science teacher Wayne Johnson. “The WeatherNet site allows my students to understand these and other concepts by allowing them to touch, feel and see.”

Schools interested in obtaining a WeatherNet site can obtain information on the program by visiting the station’s web site at https://www.knbc4la.com.