This Is What Happens When a Station's Weather Computer Stops Working on Live TV

What happens when the weather computer doesn't work during a live weather forecast? WCIV-TV Chief Meteorologist Dave Williams in Charleston, South Carolina found out – but it wasn't as bad as you might think.

"We're looking at a mess in the northeast over the next several days and we're looking at a mess right now with the weather computer. It seems to be locked up," Williams said at the beginning of the weather segment while looking at a map of the huge nor'easter storm in the northeast region of the U.S.

Image source: WCIV-TV

"How long can we talk about watches and warnings in the northeastern United States? This is the only weather map we have to work with right now," the South Carolina weatherman said.

But Dean, one of the other anchors at the station, had questions about the weather so Williams knew he had a way out of the awkward moment in case the computer still wasn't working.

"We'll take a look at our weather computer here and see if things are any better and indeed they're not – they're not at all," Williams said.

So Dean asked the Williams his weather question: "Will there be rain?"

Image source: WCIV-TV

And then his second question: "When will we see the sun?"

Image source: WCIV-TV

But then it was time to give the temperatures for the next few days. That proved a little more difficult – at least for Dean, who was scribbling down the week's temperatures as fast as Williams was talking.

Image source: WCIV-TV

"Alright. That's all the time we've got," Williams said once he finished the forecast. "Maybe – just maybe – we can kickstart that weather computer for a final weather later on. We'll get a look at that full seven day forecast."

The computer-less weatherman didn't forget to acknowledge his colleague's efforts, though.

"Thank you for saving the weather forecast," he said.

It's unclear as to when the segment aired.

Watch the full weather segment:

WCIV-TV | ABC News 4 - Charleston News, Sports, Weather

(H/T: WCIV-TV)

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