After the deadly March 31 tornadoes ripped across Arkansas in 2023, meteorologist James Bryant was shocked to hear from a lot of Arkansans that they had no idea the storms were coming.
The realization was one of the first inklings of the Arkansas Weather Network, a digital platform Bryant is launching Dec. 13 with veteran storm chaser and Fort Smith native Zachary Hall.
“I was in the weather bubble, so I knew about it and had been watching it for days,” the former KATV weatherman said. “But there were a lot of people who never got to a TV or tuned in for any coverage. The tornadoes came and scared everybody to death. I think that with a model like [Arkansas Weather Network] going forward, everyone will have a chance to tune in, on whatever device they have, when it really matters.”
Bryant and Hall describe the network as a digital-first, hyper-localized weather information platform conceived to serve the unique needs of communities across the state.”
First Community Bank of Batesville announced Wednesday that it will be the network’s premiere sponsor, noting Bryant and Hall’s “extensive social media reach. Bank spokeswoman Angela Connell would not provide a monetary figure, but told Arkansas Business in a conference call Friday that First Community is “committed to making them successful.”
Bryant, a traditional media meteorologist, is something of a rarity in an online weather market where sensationalists and thrill-seekers tend to get a lot of attention.
Hall admits he had thrilling times in five years of professional storm chasing, but he’s retired from that now, devoted to his family and to building an enterprise whose main business will be keeping Arkansans informed and safe, wherever they are.
“I storm chased for years, and was able to turn that into a profession,” Hall said. “I traveled all over the country and documented several major hurricanes and tornadoes. But I transitioned into the forecasting world, focusing on all 75 counties in Arkansas.”
Weather, Your Way
Hall and Bryant, who grew up in North Little Rock, draw their focus from a deep engagement with Arkansans. “James and I came up with this idea this past summer and we’ve been planning this launch for months.”
The network’s new app will be available on Dec. 13, and will be seamlessly integrated with a 24/7 streaming channel and the network’s social media accounts. Bryant and Hall have hired Blaze Thomas, an Arkansan who’s getting his meteorology degree next month, as their first employee.
Bryant said many consumers find digital weather reporting more accessible. “It’s better because I have a team of people that are all just digital-focused, so we’re never going to miss anything weather-related.”
Hyper-localization will be a selling point, he said.
One of the core innovations of the Arkansas Weather Network is its focus on hyper-localization. Bryant explains, “We’ve developed regions for our app that people can click on and get a little bit more of a close-up view for them in their area of the state.” The app will include innovative features such as ThreatNet, “this cool technology from Baron Weather … to detect tornadoes, hail, heavy rain, that kind of thing,” Bryant said.
“We went to Baron, which is a weather software development company, to help us develop the app, and we purchased our graphic software from them as well,” Bryant continued. “It also gives us control over the weather information that people are seeing … you’ll be getting an actual forecast from the Arkansas Weather Network team.”
He and Hall emphasized their Arkansas roots, and Thomas’, as essential to the business.
“We’re all from Arkansas,” Hall said. “When people watch the coverage, they’re going to get that little county community that a lot of people [doing the weather], if they maybe had just moved here … won’t know a thing about. So you’re getting those small details that mean a lot to people, especially when it comes to lifesaving information.”
Audience engagement is central to the business model. “We have a live chat option that we can look at in multiple feeds, where people can talk to us, … Somebody might ask us a question that we’re able to answer live,” Hall said, underscoring the platform’s potential for real-time, two-way communication.
“It’s also a reporting mechanism,” Bryant said. “Weather watchers and chat users will be able to let us convey second-by-second conditions.”
Hall said the network will use storm chasers in the field to work in tandem with forecasters to provide “I won’t say the most entertaining information, because that’s not appropriate, but insightful and informative. That way people will get the radar coverage, the wording from us, but also eyes in the field.”
Local Support
Along with First Community Bank, the network has lined up sponsors like Airmasters Heating and Air Conditioning of Little Rock and 1312 Cleaning and Restoration of Fort Smith. Bryant said he and Hall are in discussions with other potential advertisers.
“They’re Arkansas-based companies who want to continue to grow a brand in Arkansas, because, you know, we’re Arkansas-operated, Arkansas-owned,” Bryant said. “So companies that want to do business here across the state are just really natural partners for us.”
Connell said First Community’s involvement began with a conversation between Hall and the $3.3 billion-asset bank’s community president in northwest Arkansas, Natalie Bartholomew.
“Over time, it became clear that our values align with what these guys are striving to do, putting community first,” she said. “Our CEO, Dale Cole, encourages us to look for opportunities like this, and he was more than happy to agree to be premier sponsor for the Arkansas Weather Network.”
In a statement, Cole said Hall and Bryant had built strong, credible relationships with Arkansans by committing to keep them safe and informed. “Partnering with them as they expand this mission aligns perfectly with our values of community service and innovation.”
Hall emphasized that he and Bryant aren’t reinventing weather coverage.
“We’re just trying to embrace the future and be at the forefront of that so that people are properly prepared,” he said. “As long as people in our state are prepared and have the necessary information to keep themselves safe in severe weather and winter storms, that’s all we care about.”
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