As we celebrate 20 years, reflecting on my journey with Western Weather Group fills me with immense pride and gratitude. Our story isn't just about meteorology; it's about the people, the breakthroughs, and the enduring client trust that has defined our success.
From humble beginnings
The story of Western Weather Group traces its roots back to the mid-1980s at Chico State, where a company called Nowcasting was established. This initial venture had a very specific purpose: to forecast rice-burning conditions in the Sacramento Valley, which was done through a network of automated weather stations in the valley to track winds, temperature, and stability. This foundational work instilled a culture of precision and public service that has been carried forward ever since.
Out of this early legacy grew another entity, Weather Network, and eventually, the company that would become Western Weather Group. The unifying thread throughout these transitions has always been the same: a commitment to data, accuracy, and genuine care for the people who depend on their forecasts.
Building a business based on relationships and microclimates
The formation of Western Weather Group itself was born out of a pivotal moment in the early 2000s. At that time, Weathernews sought to consolidate its operations in Norman, Oklahoma.
Rather than uproot their lives and leave behind the relationships built in Northern California, a handful of employees, including me, chose a different path. We stayed and began to build something new.
And so, Western Weather Group was formed.
In the beginning, our team, who we deemed the Core 4, had little more than a passion for meteorology, a determination to make it work, and a core group of loyal agricultural clients.
We also knew what mattered: relationships and microclimates. This deep understanding and focus formed Western Weather Group’s competitive edge since day one.
A foundation built on trust
As the company grew, so did the people who defined it. Western Weather Group’s stability and integrity were shaped by our founder, Don Schukraft along with his wife Susan, whose leadership through the early years set the tone for everything that followed. The dedication of colleagues like Irene, Sherry, Dennis, Tom, and Matt pushed us through crucial stages of growth, expanding our expertise into utilities, agriculture, and beyond.
Today, our next generation of professionals continues to carry forward that same spirit of care, expertise, and service. We've always been a company defined by its people.
Our defining breakthrough, from patchwork to platform
The story of our growth hit a pivotal moment in 2016 with a live demo of our first cloud-based, API-driven database. For years, we relied on patchwork systems that stretched our capabilities to their limit. Seeing that new platform in action was more than a technical upgrade; it was the breakthrough that showed us we were positioned to grow, thrive, and serve clients in ways we had only imagined. It unlocked the potential we knew we had.
Moments and milestones that shaped our journey
Looking back, a handful of moments stand out as key turning points.
The day we officially became Western Weather Group marked more than a name change. It was proof that our roots, our clients, and our dedication meant more than corporate centralization ever could.
The Hawaii Commercial & Sugar project offered us a chance to take our deep-dive expertise beyond familiar terrain. That experience proved our ability to adapt by traveling across oceans into entirely new climates without losing sight of the precision and reliability that define our work.
Winning the SDG&E contract in 2009 was a defining opportunity that emerged from the critical need for wildfire safety and awareness. They heard about us through the rice burning program as well as a network of weather stations we installed in Maui. It showed our work could have a tangible impact on communities in moments of real need, keeping us strong when the recession had us on the ropes.
And the most telling are the countless times clients bypassed call centers and reached us directly, even after hours, because they knew we’d answer the phone. Those moments may not have made headlines, but they revealed the heart of who we are. That simple act of being there when it matters is the core of our service, and the thread that runs through every milestone along our journey. To this day, when the phone rings, it is answered by someone ready to address what’s needed.
Our clients are the heart of Western Weather Group
None of this growth would matter without our clients. Some have trusted us for more than three decades, staying with us through every season. That kind of loyalty is earned; it comes from relationships, reliability, and results. Whether it's a grower watching for frost, a utility bracing for wildfire winds, or a ski resort preparing for a storm, our clients know we are here, and we’re here to stay.
“To me, working on a weather station is like Christmas. It’s a new toy to go play with. I’ve always loved working with the equipment and programming; it’s just fun. It’s never felt like work.”
20 years of progress and the road ahead
Over the past 20 years, we’ve achieved remarkable milestones. We’ve evolved from dial-up modems and 386 computers (and driving into the office at 2 a.m. to reboot a computer to keep things running) to powerful cloud-based databases that let us scale monitoring and forecasting like never before. We’ve helped agricultural clients protect crops worth millions, from vineyards in Napa to sugarcane fields in Hawaii. And we’ve partnered with major utilities to build critical wildfire safety networks that safeguard millions of lives.
And after all these years, the work still manages to surprise me. Just recently, I was up at Mammoth Mountain, sitting in the truck rewriting a program for a weather station perched on a 20-foot platform. It was about 40 degrees, the wind was howling, and I was troubleshooting an operating system glitch. While I was focused on that, a bear wandered right through the station. The crew asked if I’d seen it, and I hadn’t because I was too busy typing away in the truck! After 20 years, that’s the thing; you just never know what’s going to happen out there.
As we look to the future, the challenges of climate, wildfires, and agriculture are only growing more complex. But so are the tools available to meet them. Better sensors, stronger data integration, and continued innovation will keep us ahead of the curve.
“Our responsibility remains clear: to support the people and industries that depend on us, with the same care and commitment that defined our past.”
Here’s to 20 years of helping people weather the unexpected, and to the decades still ahead. The ride has been incredible, and I genuinely believe the best is yet to come.