After graduating from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1971 with a degree in meteorology, Terry Kelly took a job with Madison, Wisconsin, television station WKOW calculating weather predictions.
Over the next two years he introduced a number of new techniques to the industry, including using magnets to represent high and low points, color markers on a whiteboard for graphics, and later hand-photographing satellite cloud imagery with a Bolex camera to produce the first cloud-movement animations.
In 1974 he was promoted to chief meteorologist at WKOW, and at the same time started Weather Central to sell and operate their software for smaller organizations such as ski resorts and local highway departments.
Kelly and Daly had both worked in the University of Wisconsin's Space Science and Engineering department, developers of the McIDAS weather display system.
[5] By 1984 80% of all television stations in the country were using ColorGraphics system, built on Cromemco microcomputers, to generate weather, news, and sports graphics.