Since the snowmageddons of 2014 that left MCPS students frantically checking their phones for last-minute school cancellations on more than two dozen days, MoCo Snow, a weather forecast organization founded by a current P.E. and Health teacher in MCPS, has caught the eyes and ‘likes’ of thousands of students, parents, and community members. Consistently providing timely predictions about freezing rain or polar vortices (words immeasurably pleasant to a student’s ears the night before a deadline or exam), MoCo Snow already has picked up 3,000-some followers on social media. In a recent conversation with the founder and forecaster of MoCo Snow, by the initials A.T., our reporter learned that A.T. is currently considering candidacy for a local office.
A.T. stated that he had considered running for Mayor of Gaithersburg last year. However, after former Mayor Sidney Katz was elected to the Montgomery County Council, the Gaithersburg City Council selected Jud Ashman to serve as the new mayor until this year’s November elections.
“Currently, I am weighing different options that include running for mayor, running for city council, and not running at all. I hope to make a decision soon,” noted A.T..
Though A.T. still has some decision-making to do, some MCPS students and alumni are delighted by the news of his potential candidacy.
“We all love Mr. T’s site and he is awesome!” said a recent graduate of Clemente Middle School.
A.T. has been running the MoCo Snow project, mostly anonymously, for three years. While A.T. does not identify himself as a meteorologist, he stated that he has a great understanding of weather models and how they work. According to A.T., the only compensation he receives for the MoCo Snow project comes from occasional ads on the site.
“There’s no source that pays me, [it’s] just something I do because I enjoy doing it and because it seems like most people enjoy the site,” A. T. noted.
According to A.T., many students have complained on Twitter when his prediction isn’t to their liking, particularly if he is not optimistic about snow. “I try my best to answer every appropriate question asked to me on Twitter, on the site itself, or on the Facebook page. Seems like if I don’t predict snow or a snow day, there’s more anger, but for the most part everyone is great, ” concluded A.T.
Nonetheless, as winter lingers for the next month, many students will undoubtedly keep MoCo Snow on their list of ‘favorite sites’ even if Mr. T’s forecasts aren’t too promising.
Article by the MoCo Student News Staff
Image from the MoCo Snow Twitter account