When Christian Bryson needs quick weather information, like for this weekend’s massive snowstorm, he doesn’t wait for the 5 p.m. local newscast. Instead, he turns to Ryan Hall.
“It’s as if he’s sitting in the living room with you tracking the storm,” said Bryson, a 21-year-old meteorology student at the University of Tennessee at Martin.
Hall, who goes by “Ryan Hall, Y’all” on his social media platforms, calls himself a “digital meteorologist” and “The Internet’s Weather Man.” His YouTube channel has over 3 million subscribers. Hall did not respond to a request to comment about his platform.
Hall is part of an increasingly popular genre of social media weather accounts that share information leading up to extreme weather, and then livestream for their viewers, sometimes for hours at a time. Overall, Hall offers solid information and is a good communicator with a few technical omissions, experts told NPR. But the weather genre online spans a wide range of sources — from amateurs with no science background to accredited meteorologists.
Experts say that while weather influencers can help fill an information gap, platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X tend to prioritize engagement and likes over accuracy. That means extreme weather updates on social media are often sensationalized or lack context, says Gary Lackmann, a professor of atmospheric science at North Carolina State University.
“They’re not going to the National Weather Service web page, they’re just looking at what’s in their feed,” Lackmann said. “Once you start clicking on viral extreme weather stuff, then the algorithm is going to just feed you more and more.”
Rise in social media use for weather updates
Lackmann, who is also head of NC State’s department of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences, said in 2024 during Hurricane Helene, a weather disaster that swamped western North Carolina, killing 108 people, he started to see more and more people getting their weather information from social media
He says that, in the face of extreme weather events, people need credible and authoritative sources such as the NWS.
But with social media, sometimes “you get some kid who wants to get a lot of shares and likes and be an influencer on social media,” he said.
Matthew Cappucci, a senior meteorologist for the weather app MyRadar, has personal experience with both worlds. He worked for years at the Washington Post as a meteorologist, and now posts weather forecasts on the internet.
Cappucci said his success on Facebook, Instagram, and X shows how rapidly people are shifting from getting their weather information from traditional news outlets versus social media.
“Within two months, I was able to reach 60 million-plus people on social media, just on Facebook,” Cappucci said
Bryson, the 21-year-old, said Hall and other credible weather influencers use language that non-meteorologists understand and they can share information at any time of the day.
“The fact that it’s available at your fingertips,” Bryson said. “I could go to Ryan Hall at 4 p.m. I’m eating my dinner and get the information that I need.”
Digital meteorology can help fill information gaps
There are positives to having meteorologists and credible weather sources on social media, Lackmann said. He’s seen local weather influencers in North Carolina help disperse information from official outlets.
“There’s a real need for that kind of localization and personalization of weather information,” Lackmann said.
Aaron Scott, an assistant professor of meteorology at the University of Tennessee at Martin, said digital meteorology, a relatively new certification program that encompasses all forms of digital media, has an important place in the new media landscape.
“People do trust them, and they have built rapport,” Scott said. “Sometimes that can make the difference if someone’s going to actually go take shelter from a tornado or not.”
Scott’s department at UT Martin is now offering a digital meteorology class dedicated to teaching students how to engage with an online audience.
Cappucci also sees the positives with his own content. Social media allows for more flexibility than on-air television, he said. He pushes back on climate misinformation or weather conspiracy theorists.
A minefield of misinformation on social media
But all three experts interviewed by NPR see the downsides in the way social media algorithms push the most sensationalized — not always the most accurate — information to the forefront.
“The brightest colors, the most outlandish information will always get more following than actual truthful information,” Cappucci said.
Cappucci said the ability to make increasing amounts of money on social media can also lead to inaccurate weather information.
“As TV viewership wanes and as salaries come down, it’s easier to make up that money by posting crazy stuff online,” Cappucci said.
Meteorologists use a number of different numerical models as they predict the possible outcomes of an extreme weather event. Because of this, people can “cherry-pick” one model and sensationalize a forecast, Lackmann said.
“You cry wolf too often, and people won’t take proper precautions when there really is a high probability of an extreme event,” Lackmann said.
The effort to preserve credible weather reports in the social media landscape
Meteorologists and other weather professionals are grappling with how to navigate the new media landscape and prioritize accurate information, the experts said.
NWS has increased its social media presence, Lackmann said. Experts at the American Meteorological Society have discussed a social media certification that extends beyond the digital media certification currently available.
Scott said how the field will grapple with social media, and now AI-generated media, is “a huge question mark.”
“That’s the million-dollar question,” Scott said. “How do we make it? Do we have some type of badging system where you’re certified, you’re not? Then, who decides that?”
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