The Weather Channel launched on May 2, 1982, focusing strictly on providing weather reports and other meteorological information. Viewers wasted no time making it known that their favorite part of the broadcast was the “Local on the 8s” — a program segment that provides the current and future weather conditions for the viewing area. The name came from the forecast airing at time-slots that end in “8” — 9:18, 12:48, etc. The forecast segments aired on the channel in 10-minute intervals from 2006 to 2013. If you miss seeing the Local on the 8s, you can head over to a website that will give you that nostalgic feeling of seeing your forecast in the same format. WeatherStar4000 is a free website that recreates the look and feel of a vintage Weather Channel local forecast, complete with accurate visuals and optional CRT scanlines. More importantly, it offers a period-accurate soundtrack. To get started, just go to the site and choose which features you want and don’t want using the checkboxes. Then, when you’re ready, click the full-screen button in the bottom right corner. Make sure you also unmute the music for the full effect.
