Mifflin County native Avery Amspacker posts local weather forecasters on social media and has quickly gained 5,000 followers.

LEWISTOWN — Avery Amspacker is a self-described weather junkie, or “Weather Buff” in his own words.

The 41-year-old Amspacker grew up in Lewistown, where he says his love of weather began at a very early age. From droughts to floods and snowstorms to tornadoes, Amspacker wanted to learn about it all.

“I’ve always been community oriented,” Amspacker said. “I’ve been fascinated by television stations. I have a learning disability and with it comes many challenges. I felt like I could really do something like this if I put my mind to it.”

“This” was creating The Weather Centre on social media, which provides followers with a local weather forecast at least one daily. Since launching his Facebook page nearly seven years ago, his page has garnered 5,000 followers.

“I was volunteering at the time, but I left for personal reasons,” said Amspacker, who suffers from cerebral palsy and has been wheelchair bound all of his life.

He watched weather forecasters on television and admired their work, saying “I thought why don’t I do a reading of the daily weather.”

Amspacker heard complaints from family and friends that metropolitan meteorologists’ forecasts are too far from rural central Pennsylvania to apply.

So, he stepped in and gave a shot.

“Things just blew up like crazy,” Amspacker recalled. “My expectations were very small. It was just kind of a thing that I thought would get sent to a few friends and family.

“I didn’t see it going anywhere honestly,” Amspacker added.

That was one forecast that was obviously wrong. A group of 100 followers – mostly friends and family – quickly exploded to thousands.

“People told me they loved it and thought I was onto something,” Amspacker said. “Now days the only local weather you can get is coming from a big city. It’s nice to have it coming from their backyard. People have been following along ever since.”

It was also important for Amspacker to show that people with disabilities could be productive members of society. “I really wanted to put my disability in the limelight,” he explained. “If you put your mind to it, any dream can happen.”

It certainly has for him. His video forecasts are not only professional but certainly inspirational.

Since his videos have flourished, he spends hours researching not only his weather forecasts but also making improvements. His recordings are made in his bedroom and he does add photos from the area. A big “The Weather Centre” sign – custom-made by his brother – lights up the backdrop behind him.

“I really just want to find ways to build my craft, tweaking things here and there with my videos and keeping people engaged,” Amspacker said. “It’s all about the weather and community.”

He also film videos to promote his site.

Amspacker graduated from Lewistown Area High School in 2002 and has no formal training in meteorology. His forecasts come from his research and weather wisdom he’s picked up from others.

So, how accurate are Amspacker’s forecasts? Good question. He honestly doesn’t keep track.

“Folks have told me that I’m more accurate than the weather man,” he quipped.

And while Amspacker might have friends industry, those forecasts are original – written by him.

“I try to give realistic predictions,” Amspacker said. “I do my own research. I use many different things: weather websites, mapping trends and comparing existing forecasts. It’s been a lot of fun.

“I usually give a temperature range and say, ‘Depending on your location,'” Amspacker added.

On occasion, he does peek at AccuWeather and television forecasts.

While Amspacker usually posts a video forecast once a day, he posts updates more frequently for weather events. “I usually give five- or 10-minute updates here and there,” he said.

It’s not difficult to do that when using social media. “I usually get a lot of positive responses,” Amspacker added. “If you love it, that’s the chance you take I guess.”

He admits spring and summer are his favorite seasons to forecast. “It’s easier to know what’s going to happen with rain and a thunderstorm than with snow,” he said.

Search for “The Weather Buff” on Facebook to find his page.