By Ed Offley
A new era in local forecasting has arrived for Northwest Florida. Panhandle Weather, a dedicated weather channel for the Emerald Coast and beyond, is now live—streaming 24/7 coverage focused entirely on the Florida Panhandle.
Founded by veteran meteorologists Chris Smith and Dan Nyman, both formerly of Panama City Beach TV station WJHG, the channel delivers continuous, hyperlocal forecasts and severe weather updates for communities from Pensacola to Apalachicola and Crestview to the coast. Viewers can access it online or through most major streaming platforms.
“This is the wave of the future for weather,” said Smith, who spent 16 years at WJHG and more than three decades in broadcast meteorology. “You don’t need a traditional TV station to broadcast anymore.”
Operating from a new Inlet Beach studio, Panhandle Weather combines data from the National Weather Service with information from its own growing network of regional weather stations. The team is currently partnering with local businesses to install advanced remote monitoring systems that will stream real-time weather conditions and video across the Panhandle.
Unlike national outlets, Panhandle Weather’s programming is locally driven. “Online weather operations have been taking off for a decade now,” said Nyman, a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. “But they’re not local,” Smith added. “We’re going to be hyperlocal.”
In addition to forecasts, the channel is equipped to issue real-time alerts for severe weather, including hurricanes, tornadoes, and coastal storms. “If a tornado warning hits, you can grab your phone, go to your safe space, and still watch live coverage,” Smith explained. “It’s totally seamless.”
The service is free to viewers, supported by sponsors and advertisers. The Panhandle Weather app is available on the Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and major streaming platforms including Amazon Fire, Apple TV+, and Amazon Prime.
Panhandle Weather is the first stand-alone local weather channel of its kind in Florida, designed for both residents and visitors who depend on accurate, real-time forecasts along the Gulf Coast.
Watch live: panhandleweather.com/#live
Follow: instagram.com/panhandlewx | facebook.com/panhandlewx | youtube.com/@flpanhandlewx
