By Mary Ford/ mford@cnc.com
Thursday, January 12, 2006
(Pictures on Page 1 have been ommitted)

When Michael Page stares out the window at school looking up at the blue sky and cumulus clouds above, he isn’t day dreaming and won’t be getting into trouble with his teachers.

On the contrary, when the Hingham High freshman - who is a straight-A student - looks outside, he is truly thinking about the weather and what it will do next.

"The nice thing about the weather is that it is always changing," says Michael, 15. "It’s never boring, there is always something to look at."

Michael has taken his interest in weather observing further than most. He’s developed a web site www.hinghamweather.com that contains the latest information about the weather, including weather alerts, local forecast, and current conditions.

"It proves to be very useful when you want to know what the temperature is right here in Hingham, not just in Boston and other big cities," Michael says about his web site.

Although Michael has been interested in weather for as long as he can remember, it was two big snowstorms back in December 2003 that turned his interest into a hobby that he is passionate about.

"One of the storms was 17 inches and there was no school," Michael recalls. "Channel 4 asked viewers to send in snowfall totals. I took a yardstick and emailed the inches in.

"It was kind of exciting," he says. "It was my first real observation and my first real experience with weather observing."

The following May, Michael hooked up with Channel 7 which had a well developed weather-spotter network where he would send in several weather observations a day by email or telephone.

He has been spotting for channels 4, 5, 7, Fox, NECN and WB56 since the summer of 2004. During last August’s "microburst" that downed hundreds of trees in certain parts of Hingham, Michael’s reports were included on all those channels. He also spots for the National Weather Service.

After the microburst, Michael provided a detailed account of what occurred over the phone to Barry Burbank at Channel 4. Soon after, Burbank invited Michael to the studio for a tour.

Michael keeps daily weather records, a process that has become routine and one that allows him to look back on past storms to make comparisons.

At home, Michael has a thermometer, barometer, hydrometer (for humidity), anemometer (for wind), in addition to a rain gauge and snow stick. He says the equipment that can add up to $100 is needed to be a real observer and to keep good records.

"The biggest thing is being dedicated," he says. "I take observations several times every day with no day off."

This past summer, he created the web site which he recently upgraded and has received up to 1,000 "hits" or visits a day locally and even internationally. Michael also sends out forecasts nightly via email to subscribers.

Michael is also a member of the Teen Podcasters Network where his podcast features news events that he feels are either important or out of the ordinary, as well as news about the weather. (Podcasting is a method of publishing audio programs via the internet. The user downloads podcasts into his or her computer or "iPod," which is a palm-sized portable player).

Biology teacher, Janet Duffy, who shares Michael’s interest in weather, says Michael’s love for the changing atmosphere and excitement of predicting the "big storms" is contagious.

"He has both the technology skills to track the storms and the social skills to communicate his information to both his peers and professionals in the news media," Duffy says. "Listening to his new podcasts reveals a talent that runs very deep!

"He has a great broadcasting voice and a light, welcoming personality that comes together in an interesting perspective. Michael takes his interests to a higher level with his multifaceted talents."

Michael met Bob Skilling, who is observer-in-charge at the Blue Hill Observatory, after he began with Channel 7. Skilling, a Hingham resident, pens the weekly Almanac for the Hingham Journal and three other local newspapers. He and Michael often compare data.

Skilling, who has been a weather observer for 52 years, is impressed with Michael’s ability to keep up with the day-to-day weather events.

"He’s even learned how to read the weather forecast computer models used by professional forecasters and at such a young age," Skilling said. "He freely gives his time to review my weekly weather columns to help me find missing words, poor phrasing and any incorrect content before I finalize them and send them out."

Through Skilling, Michael hooked up with Fire Chief Mark Duff, a fellow weather enthusiast. The two communicate back and forth, especially during major weather events.

"I am very impressed with Michael’s knowledge of the weather, his forecasting ability and his dedication to making daily observations," Duff says. "I hope he considers a career in meteorology."

However, Michael, whose parents are David and Stacey Page of Hingham Jewelers, isn’t sure if he’ll pursue a career in meteorology.

But weather is fascinating, he says, because of the science involved and its importance in daily life.

"Some people need to know the information," he says. "Some professions are impacted by the weather; and everyone is always talking about the weather."

Michael explains that forecasting involves looking at high and low pressure systems, the approaching fronts and the variables. "But nothing is set in stone until it happens," he says. "A five-day forecast is a stretch and a rarely is a six to seven day forecast even close."

But as far as a hobby goes, Michael - who is interested in possibly pursuing journalism or broadcast journalism - says being a weather observer is his first choice.

"It’s a different hobby," he says. "Hardly anyone has it."