It's hard to believe that YouTube is now 20 years old. What was once an exciting video platform has become just another legacy media website. However, the streaming video site still captures the attention of millions, with a robust community spanning the globe. Want to learn about the Civil War? There's a YouTube video on it. Want to know more about woodworking? Visit one of the best YouTube channels for woodworking beginners to learn about the craft. Want to get your weather updates from a non-major
network, credible source? There's even a YouTube channel for that — the Severe Weather Center, hosted by Max Velocity, a degreed meteorologist who explains weather patterns that affect the continental United States.
He got his start on the streaming video platform in 2014 and has since built up quite an audience with 1.3 million subscribers as of August 2025, over 1,700 published videos, adding up to almost a quarter of a billion views. Impressive stats, especially considering Max's content isn't clickbait or meme-driven. It sits outside of the viral content hamster wheel, providing a public service rather than solely seeking clicks. And while many people these days get their weather from smartphones, where there are a ton of great weather apps available for download, some take a more 20th-century style approach where a real, live meteorologist talks to audiences.
Read more: 7 Of The Most Useful USB Gadgets You Can Buy On Amazon
Who Is Max Velocity?
Max Velocity is operated by Max Schuster, a Texas-based meteorologist who began his foray into weather at the age of 10 when he started studying meteorology. He was accepted into a weather program in the greater Boston area, intended for graduating seniors and college students — a testament to his brains, gusto, and passion for meteorology. Later, he began to cover weather forecasting in high school via Facebook, garnering a large following after a breakthrough covering Hurricane Laura, with his coverage getting over 3 million views. At the tender age of 17, Schuster's hard work began to pay off, and he soon became renowned for providing some of the most accurate seven-day forecasts in North Texas. He eventually broadened his geographic scope to the entire country, using deep dives to help viewers understand complex and dicey weather patterns as they develop.
Of course, Schuster has competitors, with Ryan Hall being one of his biggest rivals. Hall's channel has 2.8 million subscribers and follows a similar format of live radar footage with commentary displayed from a small box at the bottom corner of the screen. His videos are filmed in a typical podcast-style looking studio. Some of Schuster's viewers have stated on Reddit a preference for his broadcasting style over Hall's, claiming that Schuster has a better speaking voice, combined with reliable and consistent coverage of developing weather stories. This underscores Schuster's research ability, charm, and confidence — something that is rather striking, given how young he is.
Modern Weather Broadcasting And Community
A recent video where Schuster gives updates on active storm fronts has one YouTube user commenting, "Max -- YOU are the only weather person that I listen to. You are always 100% spot on in your forecasts!!! You are the BEST!!!" among 262 other mostly positive comments. In only four hours, the video garnered 58,000 views. To further tap the community vibe, Schuster has a merch shop where he hawks t-shirts, coffee mugs, stickers, and magnets, allowing fans to show their support. He has clearly found a winning formula here, proving to be a potent weather forecaster with a modern bent.
Having a well-spoken, actual human broadcaster describe storm nuances is simply more appealing than looking at a weather icon on a screen, for some. Schuster's audience skews more towards a Gen-X crowd and older, with a predominantly male viewership. Still, his coverage of severe weather will likely get the attention of anyone online, in the path of a storm, looking for solid intel. He has found a niche and an effective delivery method for his forecasts and has been able to galvanize a community and present the news on his terms. In this era of hyper-individualized social media, it's nice to see a wholesome and honest YouTube channel providing such a valuable public service.
Want the latest in tech and auto trends? Subscribe to our free newsletter for the latest headlines, expert guides, and how-to tips, one email at a time.
Read the original article on SlashGear.
