Westfall High School is taking its science and technology curriculum to the next level with the addition of a new online weather station, now live at Tempest Weather Station. The station, powered by Tempest technology, is designed to enhance classroom learning while also providing real-time benefits to the school community.
The station replaces the school’s previous WeatherBug system. Science teacher Matthew Greenlee explained the significance of the upgrade.
“Think of the new Tempest Weather Station as the super-charged, next-generation version of our old WeatherBug,” Greenlee said. “Not only does it give us incredibly detailed, minute-by-minute updates on our local weather, but it also links us to over 85,000 other stations all over the globe. We’re now part of a global weather community! Plus, the app is a game-changer for our athletic department—they get real-time lightning alerts to keep our teams safe. It’s like having our own personal meteorologist on campus.”
Greenlee, along with the district’s technology team, played a major role in bringing the station to Westfall. As self-described “weather nerds,” they often discuss weather trends with colleagues and follow meteorologist Ryan Hall, who uses Tempest Weather Stations in his broadcasts.
“When designing the new STEM course, Megan McDowell and I wanted to incorporate local weather within the course,” Greenlee said. “We designed a unit on weather patterns with data collection and presentation. This allows our STEM students to use real-world data that connects the course content to what they see outside the classroom window.”
The weather station is just one part of a broader new STEM curriculum at Westfall. Greenlee and McDowell are co-teaching the course, which blends science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into a variety of hands-on projects.
“We’re diving into everything from weather tracking with our new station to building and programming robots,” Greenlee shared. “We’ll also be exploring simple mechanics, design, and structures, coming up with sustainable solutions to real-world problems, and getting hands-on with 3D modeling and printing. It’s a mash-up of different science and engineering topics, and we’re planning some really cool projects that let the students get creative and build things from the ground up.”
With the launch of the Tempest Weather Station and an innovative STEM program, Westfall High School is giving students new opportunities to explore science in action—right in their own backyard.