By Kacie Lawrence/For the Sentinel
MURRAY – Trying to cut back on social media while still staying up-to-date on things like local weather? Justin Holland has you covered. The founder of the popular Murray/Calloway County Weather Facebook page launched his official website last week – murrayweather.com.
“The website is a little different from the Facebook page,” Holland explained, “because you always have the current conditions available at the top of the website.”
With a passion for local weather and helping his fellow Calloway County citizens, Holland worked with a local website developer to create the site, which features quite a bit more information than the Facebook page he has operated for the past 10 years.
The website features weather maps and graphics, showing severe weather outlooks and forecasts for rainfall, snowfall, excessive rain and long-range forecasts. In addition, it boasts a drought monitor as well as links for the visible satellite, real-time lightning strikes, snowfall probabilities and freezing rain probabilities. For history buffs, the historical weather data for Murray might be of interest. Links to the National Weather Service forecast discussion, Kentucky Mesonet and Kyle Oakley Field are also available.
“There are so many maps and graphics available on the website specifically for Calloway County.” Holland said.
According to Holland the website also has a 24-hour live radar stream when precipitation is around the region, as well as a frequently updated seven-day forecast specifically for weather in Calloway County.
Holland felt that it was important to make sure that Calloway County citizens had a weather source devoted just to this area, as it can differ so greatly from the rest of the region at any given time.
“Our four-state region is big in territory,” he said. “The weather in southern Illinois and southeast Missouri can vary greatly from right here in Murray and Calloway County.”
Holland also says the site is a great way for local businesses to advertise.
“I also have links on my website so that someone can get in touch with me about advertising opportunities if they wish to support my site and to advertise their local business,” Holland said. “It really is a great low-cost and effective way to get the word out about their local business. Everyone needs to know the weather forecast, so their business logo can be seen by thousands of people locally and regionally when they search for Murray weather on Google or the internet.”
Holland said that he wanted the site to be user-friendly to provide an easy-to-use tool for when severe and wintery weather strikes in Calloway County. For those interested, he includes a link to his texting service, which he started five years ago, that sends out alerts during severe and very active weather.
“It really is wonderful and user-friendly for all those weather fanatics who want to follow our local weather,” Holland said.
He would like to thank everyone for their continued support and for the online following he has acquired, as well as the local business sponsors.
As Holland said, “Without them none of this would be possible.”
