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Meet the founder of Harford County Weather Watch

By By Linda Burkins
For Harford Magazine |
Feb 27, 2015 at 4:15 PM
Weather blogger Pete Rost purchased new meteorological equipment after a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2014. The antenna, measuring equipment, software and computer are all located at Rost's Bel Air home. (Scott Serio / Baltimore Sun Media Group)

Pete Rost, a Harford County public school teacher, runs Harford County Weather Watch. Though Rost is not a meteorologist, the hyperlocal online service has more than 13,000 followers on Facebook. It offers a premium desktop weather-alert service for 99 cents a month. Harford County Weather Watch recently raised more than $2,000 in a Kickstarter campaign to upgrade its equipment. With the help of computer programmer Scott Davis, Rost posts up-to-the-minute weather forecasts several times a day on Facebook and on his website. We chat with Pete Rost about the forecast for Harford County Weather Watch.

Was there some specific event that triggered your interest in weather?
I’ve liked weather since I was a kid, but I started getting interested in forecasting in 2009 when we had back-to-back storms. I studied some models and started doing forecasting for a few friends. At first it was just a small private Facebook group. Then they invited a few more friends into the group; then a few more joined. I had no intention of it ever being this big.
Why is Harford County Weather Watch needed?
Weather changes a lot right at the Fall Line, the line where the Atlantic coastal plain meets the Piedmont Plateau. Since we’re near that line, it can have a big impact on our weather in Harford. The local TV stations are trying to cover a bigger viewing area. I’m not. I’m also not a meteorologist; I never want to mislead people about that. But I have an advantage because I’m looking at a smaller area than they are, so I can be more precise.
Tell me about your Kickstarter campaign and what you’ve done with those funds.
We raised $2,610 through Kickstarter. I’ve been able to install more precise instrumentation and to help pay for ongoing access to the subscription services I use for weather modeling. We’re also installing a taller anemometer, which measures wind speed.
What’s your favorite kind of weather?
I love snow. I always love snow. I grew up on a farm with a big hill, and I loved sledding down it. But my favorite time of year is probably fall, when I can go out and hike and not have to either bundle up or roast out there.
What’s the secret to your success?
The truth is, I just love physics — and, to a lesser extent, calculus.
What’s the forecast for Weather Watch?
Right now our premium subscriber service is only available for Windows PCs. I’d like to extend that to other operating systems and develop a mobile app that could be used on phones and tablets. I’d also really like to find a way to fund a Weather Watch Scholarship for a student interested in pursuing meteorology as a career.
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