Say you’re a DirecTV subscriber trying to stay on top of bad weather. Or, perhaps you’re a DirecTV customer interested in seeing what the forecast has in store for your weekend. No matter the reason, you should know how to find The Weather Channel on your DirecTV guide. But, with so many stations included in your satellite package, it can be difficult to find the exact channel you’re searching for. Thankfully, we’re here to help you tune in to The Weather Channel directly without having to browse for it.
The Weather Channel Station Guide
| Channel Name | DirecTV Channel Number |
|---|---|
| The Weather Channel | 362 |
If you’re tired of searching for DirecTV channels, check out these great streaming options.
Best for Families  | Best Overall  | Best Budget Option  |
From $4.99.mo. | From $64.99/mo. | $25/month |
Description: Pick your choice of ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney Plus. Plans start as low as $4.99/month for ESPN+ only. | Description: Free trial available. Watch 75+ channels, including local channels and special premium channel offers. | Description: Take a 7-day free trial and stream more than 70 channels live. Record your favorites with unlimited DVR. |
Pick your choice of ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney Plus. Plans start as low as $4.99/month for ESPN+ only.
Free trial available. Watch 75+ channels, including local channels and special premium channel offers.
Take a 7-day free trial and stream more than 70 channels live. Record your favorites with unlimited DVR.
The History of The Weather Channel
©Hadrian/Shutterstock.com
The Weather Channel (TWC) was founded in 1982. Before its debut broadcast, television viewers had to rely on the local news or the daily newspaper for the weather forecast. With the launch of The Weather Channel — a network focused solely on weather, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — the world of weather forecasts was changed forever. While the station had a limited viewership at the start, it grew rapidly with the premiere of its iconic “Local on the 8s” segment.
“Local on the 8s” provides a local forecast every ten minutes. It has continued to be a key part of TWC’s daily broadcast for 40 years. In the ’90s, the station broadened its horizons with an array of long-form documentary series mixed in with its news broadcasts. The Weather Channel launched its website in 1996. This was another pivotal moment in the network’s upward ascent. Its popularity helped The Weather Channel brand grow even stronger.
The 2000s saw TWC struggle to remain relevant in a shifting television landscape. With the rise of reality television, the station felt it necessary to develop a wider selection of unscripted reality shows. This wasn’t the most popular choice among loyal Weather Channel viewers who only wanted to see the news. Alas, these documentary series remain integral to The Weather Channel’s business model through to the 2020s.
The Weather Channel Sister Stations
| Cars.TV |
| Comedy.TV |
| ES.TV |
| Justice Central |
| MyDestination.TV |
| Pets.TV |
| Recipe.TV |
| Local Now |
| TheGrio |
| This TV |
The Weather Channel Programming
AMHQ
is The Weather Channel’s morning news broadcast.©Entertainment Studios – License
Since the introduction of reality shows to The Weather Channel lineup, the network has continued to balance documentary programming with news broadcasts. While these news programs remain the backbone of the network, its long-form documentary series are just as important to TWC’s daily broadcasts. Let’s take a look at the kinds of shows that air on The Weather Channel on an average day.
News
TWC’s four core news programs make up a significant portion of its daily broadcasts. AMHQ — short for America’s Morning Headquarters — airs every day from 6 AM to 12 PM Eastern. It focuses on weather, news, and other important bulletins from around the country.
Storm Center is the network’s newest broadcast. First airing in 2021, the show gives a closer look at the most powerful storms on Earth with the help of an augmented reality studio. It’s a replacement for Weather Center Live, which aired from 2009 to 2021.
Rounding out the daily news offerings are Weather Underground and Weekend Recharge. Both of these programs have been on the air since 2015 and are still going strong today. The former is an afternoon show, while the latter airs on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
TWC has also been experimenting with a weekend morning edition of AMHQ. This Saturday and Sunday version of the show is half the length of the weekday edition. It airs from 6 AM to 9 AM Eastern.
Documentary Series
The Weather Channel airs a surprisingly large number of documentary series. From Deadline to Disaster to Highway Thru Hell, Prospectors to Tornado Alley, these long-form programs aren’t always explicitly about the weather but still deal with the natural world and its impact. While this new introduction to the channel lineup was certainly controversial back in the 2000s, it became hugely popular in the years that followed.
Most of these documentary shows are limited to weekends. For example, the current Saturday lineup consists of Mayday: Air Disaster episodes, Heroes & Survivors repeats, and Highway Thru Hell marathons. TWC switches things up often to keep its schedule interesting. New offerings include Search Party with Brandon Jordan and The Earth Unlocked. The station has been averaging about one to two new documentary series a year.
Special Coverage
During current or forecasted weather emergencies, The Weather Channel will throw its usual schedule out the window in favor of special round-the-clock breaking news coverage. From incoming hurricanes to impending blizzards to super storms with great potential for tornado activity, this special live coverage can interrupt The Weather Channel scheduling before, during, and even after the storm rolls through.
This special coverage is where you’ll typically see those infamous shots of weather reporters standing outside in extremely harsh conditions. From strong hurricane-force winds to blisteringly cold snowstorms, TWC reporters put themselves on the front lines for the sake of the safety of its viewers. Their coverage starts when the first inkling of a storm begins and continues long after the storm rolls through and recovery begins.
Where Is Weatherscan?
©Entertainment Studios – License
Now that you know how to find The Weather Channel, you may wonder how to locate Weatherscan on DirecTV. TWC’s long-running sister station offered nonstop local weather infographics on a 24/7 loop. Unfortunately for fans of this style of weather broadcast, TWC ceased operations of Weatherscan in December 2022.
A refreshing alternative to The Weather Channel’s hosted weather broadcasts, Weatherscan featured no on-screen commentators or meteorologists. It functioned like a “Local on the 8s” segment but stretched out for 24 hours instead of just 10 minutes. TWC blamed decreased viewership, the popularity of smartphone weather information, and outdated equipment.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Entertainment Studios.
