Hello, Kansas City! It’s been just over two years since I retired from television in December 2022, and what a whirlwind it’s been. From leaving Kansas City and moving to the snowy landscape of Golden, Colorado, to diving into the entrepreneurial world with the launch of Weather 20/20, a long-range weather forecasting business with a weather-predicting app, it’s been quite an adventure. The app can help people plan for major events, such as weddings, up to six months in advance.
Most of the Weather 20/20 team resides right here in the greater Kansas City metro, where we convene for our quarterly meetings. Our dedicated team includes Bob Lyons, our chief technology officer; Bryce Palmer, our chief solutions officer; Justin Ohlde, our chief financial officer, who farms in northern Kansas; as well as five meteorologists and our administrative assistant, Katherine Hellige.
I do miss the daily routine of delivering weather updates, a role I cherished during my time at Kansas City’s WDAF from 1992 to 1999 and later at KSHB until 2022.
But let me rewind and share the genesis of Weather 20/20. It all started back in the 1980s while I was in Oklahoma City, where I noticed recurring weather patterns, particularly during the winter of 1987-1988.
This observation sparked the idea that weather operates in cycles, a concept that evolved over the next 15 years. By the early 2000s, blogging became a platform for sharing my insights, and the Lezak Recurring Cycle was born. This concept enabled us to make accurate long-range predictions, including severe weather outbreaks and tropical storms, weeks to months in advance.
Fast forward to today, and LRC has evolved into a patent-pending climate model, empowering our Weather 20/20 team to provide precise weather forecasts globally. We have introduced the Global Predictor, an app built on LRC, now accessible on our website. With the Global Predictor, users can access forecasts up to six months ahead anywhere in the world.
The Weather 20/20 team is currently working on Virga Weather Products, an artificial intelligence project aimed at helping businesses prepare for significant weather events and make informed decisions to drive revenue.
As I reflect on my 30 years in Kansas City, I’m filled with gratitude for the memories and excited for the future. Life, like weather, is full of cycles, and I’m thrilled to embark on this new journey with Weather 20/20.
Here’s to embracing the future and cherishing every moment.
How the Global Predictor weather forecaster works
The Global Predictor uses technology from Weather 20/20 known as the Lezak Recurring Cycle. It leverages geospatial radar, satellite and other information, powered by the LRC model.
The colors on the high and low temperature calendars represent different temperature ranges compared to average. Cooler-than-average temperatures are depicted by shades of blue while warmer-than-average temperatures are indicated by shades of orange to red. These color variations help users quickly identify temperature patterns at their chosen location.
The forecast precipitation levels for the month are shown in green.
Users can click on the interactive map in the Global Predictor to see a forecast for anywhere in the world.
The system can predict weather accurately for up to six months in advance.
