“It literally saved us a half a million dollars.”
Perry Weather’s weather station and cloud-based alert app turned a looming 4000 person concert cancellation at Ozarks Amphitheater into a memorable show that protected its fans and half a million dollars in ticket revenue, artist fees, and production costs.
Storms at Ozarks Amphitheater can put up to 8000 people at risk
Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, is famous for pop-up thunderstorms that form after sundown.
Tom Abbott, Director of Business Development, oversees 25–30 live events each season, often with 200 staffers and up to 8,000 guests on site.
Lightning, high winds, and hail can appear within minutes, forcing him to decide whether to open doors, pause shows, or evacuate fans to the parking lots.
A single mistimed call can trigger full refunds, artist fees, and heavy overtime.
Before Perry Weather Ozarks was relying on free apps and intuition
Abbott once relied on three daily emails from county emergency management plus a mix of free radar and lightning apps to judge whether clouds would dissipate or slam the venue.
Earlier that year a 24-hour forecast forced him to cancel outright, landing them a $40,000 loss in sunk marketing and prep costs.
This process was completely manual. Abbot would watch the time on his phone, mentally noting any new strikes popping up on his free radar apps.
Abbott saw a need to get something to help him monitor the on-site weather accurately.
“In the beginning, I was just looking for a weather station…and then I found Perry Weather…it seemed to be state of the art.,” remarked Abbott.
Ozarks saw the system in action just one week after installation
“The first time I used it, it paid for itself.”
The system was installed just one week before Dwight Yoakam was scheduled to perform.
That weekend, Perry Weather’s alerts fed exact strike distance and location to Abbott’s phone on the app lightning radar, while Perry Weather meteorologists confirmed the cell would skirt toward the north shore nearly missing the venue.
“I was texting back and forth with your meteorologists and the National Weather Service was weighing in. The most accurate information was from that Perry Weather station and your meteorologists”
“If I was a fan in the stands, I would want somebody watching the weather that closely.”
Real time lightning detection and forecasts saved this show
When clouds flashed at 9 p.m., audiences heard Yoakam’s tour manager announce that the weather was being watched closely.
The lightning kept rolling away from the venue, so Abbott held the line and waited for the all-clear.
After a slight delay in schedule and great communication to the audience, the show went on.
500K saved and thousands of fans happy their show wasn’t cancelled
Beyond lightning detection: elevating audience comfort and experience
Lightning may grab headlines, but Abbott doesn’t stop watching weather when there’s no lightning in the area.
The same Perry Weather station feeds him dew-point, temperature, humidity, and heat-index data that help shape every detail of the fan experience—long before anyone feels a raindrop or a heat wave.
How dew-point affects the venue
“If the dew point’s within five degrees of the start-time temperature, the seats are going to get wet and people are going to get damp, so we put blankets and towels out.”
When the air hits saturation, moisture coats seats, and stage gear. Knowing this hours ahead means the crew can towel down benches, stagehands can protect sensitive equipment, and acoustic engineers can tweak sound levels for the heavier, wetter air.
Making comfort adjustments based on the heat-index
Summer at Lake of the Ozarks brings 90 °F days and soaring humidity.
Abbott watches the heat index as closely as he watches lightning:
“Anytime we have temperatures over 90 degrees, we set out hydration stations… If the heat index tops 100, we let people bring their own water bottles, and get filling stations ready.”
Real-time “feels like” readings guide those calls. Temperature thresholds trigger alerts that let Abbott know to implement extra shade, open hydration points, and looser carry-in rules, keeping fans comfortable and safe throughout the event.
Future-proofing live music lightning safety
“I expect it to be a very long, mutually beneficial relationship, for sure,” said Abbot.
Ozarks Amphitheater turned a half-million-dollar risk into a nonevent by implementing the system at his concert venue.
With one subscription Ozarks gained on-site sensors, expert meteorology, and incredible lightning detection that will help keep the venue up and running without false alarms.
Your venue can do the same.
