Many are watching the news to hear about the weather wanting to know whether to expect more rain and wind for the next day.
But for some that forecast information is vital to help protect their health.
Bad weather is bad news for Laurie. Storms bring on horrible migraines.
But if she's alerted beforehand, she can cope.
"You're telling me that it's migraine weather. OK, this is the day where I'm going to go extra heavy on the meds or extra heavy on the ibuprofen, or make sure my ice pack's at work," she said.
She now receives e-mail alerts from a company called MediClim. Dr. John Bart, one of the founders, says technology allows them to alert tens of thousands of people every month.
"With the prediction people can then go to their other triggers, take maneuvers avoid falling prey to the disease from which they suffer," he said.
Over the years, medical records have been compared to thousands of weather events, so now scientists can link the two.
"We can do it in 36 to 72 hours, but the further away from the weather forecast we go, the less reliable it is," he explained.
A sudden drop in barometric pressure triggers migraines and changes in humidity trigger arthritis. The wind may affect heart disease and thunderstorms are linked to asthma attacks.
Laurie is sold.
The service is free and supported through advertising. MediClim hopes to add more ailments to its list of alerts as soon as there is scientific evidence to back them up.
Health conditions featured on the alerts include arthritis, asthma, diabetes, heart disease and migraines.
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