From Laughingstock to Priceless Stock–Part III

From Laughingstock to Priceless Stock–Part III

This is the third and final part of a series of excerpts from Chapter One of INSIDE THE WEATHER CHANNEL. (I’ll kick off a new series of excerpts next week.) Come to think about it, the title, “From Laughingstock to Priceless Stock,” could apply to the University of Washington football team as well as The Weather Channel. The Huskies had lost fifteen straight games–tying an embarrassing Pac-10 record–until they whipped Idaho two Saturdays ago. “Yeah, but Idaho?” the dubious among us said. Then it was Southern California, number three in the nation. Now, U-Dub, suddenly ranked 24th in the country (AP poll) has a target on its back. We’ll see if...

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From Laughingstock to Priceless Stock–Part II

From Laughingstock to Priceless Stock–Part II

Following is the second of a series of excerpts from INSIDE THE WEATHER CHANNEL. It’s a continuation from last week’s excerpt. FROM LAUGHINGSTOCK TO PRICELESS STOCK A Brief History of The Weather Channel®–Part II ALICIA August 15, 1983: The rising sun over the Gulf of Mexico tinted a cluster of billowing thunderheads–the disturbance NHC forecasters were concerned about–pink and gold as the Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft that had departed from Keesler AFB earlier approached them. The WC-130 made several turbulent passes through the thunderstorms. In the process, the on-board meteorologist discovered a circular wind pattern and falling air...

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From Laughingstock to Priceless Stock–Part I

From Laughingstock to Priceless Stock–Part I

Following is the first in a series of excerpts from INSIDE THE WEATHER CHANNEL, a book I’ve been working on for several years. I’ll be posting a new excerpt every week or so. FROM LAUGHINGSTOCK TO PRICELESS STOCK A Brief History of The Weather Channel®–Part I During the predawn hours of August 15, 1983, a U. S. Air Force Reserve WC-130 lifted off from Keesler AFB, Mississippi. The four-engined Hurricane Hunter aircraft climbed through stacks of towering cumulus and banked toward the Gulf of Mexico. Its navigator set the plane on a course just west of due south. It didn’t have far to go, just a few hundred miles at most. Forecasters at the National...

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