Mason student develops university weather program

(Photo courtesy of Nick Stasiak)

George Mason University now has its own weather program.

Nick Stasiak, a freshman at Mason, is starting “Forecast GMU,” which will provide daily weather forecasts for the Fairfax area.

Stasiak has experience with forecasting.

As of right now, “Forecast GMU” is only on social networking sites, but Stasiak says the station will most likely expand once it has gotten off the ground.

“Right now if you want to see my weather, I have Twitter and Facebook,” Stasiak said.  “For now it’s just me doing the weather until we get the organization together and get all the research done with the weather station.”

One of these expansions would be a website for the weather station.

“We’re also researching making a new website for George Mason weather, which the station would connect to and give live feed throughout the day,” Stasiak said.

Stasiak has been studying meteorology from a young age.

“I actually used to be terrified of weather,” Stasiak said. “When I was little, I taught myself how to tell the weather and how to predict what was coming, so I would know before the terror set in.”

“In high school, I started my own weather station,” Stasiak said. “It started with a Facebook page that ended up getting over some 500 likes, and I ended up predicting for not just my high school, but the whole county. I just gave weather reports all day. Most of the equipment was made by hand.”

Some of Stasiak’s hand-made equipment includes a barometer and wind gage, along with other weather-checking items. Stasiak is a National Weather Service certified spotter.

Stasiak gained support from the program after suggesting the idea to some Mason professors.

“Right now I’m working with Professor Shukla, Professor Brian Doty, and one other student, Chris Rowley,” Stasiak said.  Along with Stasiak’s small crew, he is planning on recruiting members for the program.

“Be expecting an all new weather and climate organization that anyone can join,” Stasiak said.  “It will be kind of like a club at the start.”

“The website would come first, but there’s a possibility of making an app, or somehow making it accessible from Android or iPhone,” Stasiak said.

Stasiak’s Twitter page is @forecastingGMU and his Facebook is Forecast GMU.