February 2, 2021

By: Shannon Worley

Every night at 10:30 p.m., hundreds of MU students receive a nine-paragraph GroupMe message. What’s in the message? A weather report.

During his first semester at MU, freshman meteorology major Andrew Labit picked up a new title: The Mizzou Weatherman. After Labit began sending out weather warnings to a small group of people, his friends encouraged him to make a larger group chat to reach a wider audience of Mizzou students. In September, 2020, the Mizzou Weather Alerts GroupMe was formed and the first report was sent out.

“I guess a lot of people really liked the idea because, in the first two hours, there were over 200 people in the group chat,” Labit said.

Although the group chat started out with a decent-sized following, Labit was determined to see it grow. He sent out a link to join the chat in different GroupMe and Facebook groups to recruit more supporters. However, he gained many group members just through word of mouth.

“I am a social butterfly. I go everywhere and interact with everyone,” Labit said. “One of the first topics I hit in conversations is the group chat, and I have about a 99% success rate to get them to join.”

As his following continued to blossom, Labit looked for ways to advance his role as Mizzou Weatherman. Whenever the group chat hits a landmark with its number of members, Labit adds something new to his weather reports.

He started out with a simple, typed-up report including daily temperature highs and lows, time of sunrise and sunset, early morning and midday temperatures and recommendations for attire. When Labit hit 500 followers, he began to create video reports. Other additions include a daily motivational quote and a fun fact.

When he hits 1000 members in the GroupMe, Labit hopes to release merch.

One of his followers, Emmy Chirpich, a freshman atmospheric science major, has a special appreciation for Labit’s daily reports.

“Andrew’s reports are definitely the most accurate weather predictions and easy to get a hold of. They’re funny and exciting,” Chirpich said. “I get all the information I need.”

Labit also releases updates on his social media accounts. He has an Instagram and a TikTok with the username @mizzouweatherman. Still, the majority of his followers get their reports from the original GroupMe.

Currently, Chirpich is one of 710 GroupMe members who receive these reports every day. Aside from the weather predictions, the followers are also a part of a tight-knit community.

“I see a lot of potential in this,” Carson Ziemke, a freshman follower of Labit, said. “It’s fun and the group chat has become a community, which is really cool. When conversations get going, everyone gets involved.”

From pictures of pets to relationship advice to car help, the group chat discusses many topics. Ziemke shared that there was even a “rescue party” to walk someone home late at night. Although the original plan for the group chat did not include the creation of a community, Labit is more than happy to provide a place for his peers to connect with one another.

“Weather is what I like. It’s what I’m passionate about, it’s what I want to do with my life,” Labit said. “If I can use that and somehow benefit others, then it’ll work for me.”

_Edited by Angelina Edwards | aedwards@themaneater.com_

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