1⟩ Explain me how did you get started?
I began my broadcasting career as the weekend weather anchor in Cheyenne, Wyoming at KGWN-TV.
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2⟩ Tell me how much money did/do you make starting out as a Meteorologists?
Granted it has been a decade and a half, but I made $10 dollars/hour at my first job!
3⟩ Please explain what is most rewarding?
Knowing that I can provide some guidance to an individual or a family and occasionally some potentially life saving information makes it all worth it. For example, earlier this year we had some rare (for Colorado) early morning tornadoes that damaged several communties on the eastern plains. I didn’t go home until 6:30am and was totally exhausted but received this from a viewer the next day:
4⟩ Tell me do you go out and do any storm chasing?
One of the things I wish I could do more of is being out there watching storms develop.
5⟩ Explain me what do you consider an accurate forecast?
The biggest thing everybody's going to notice is the temperature because that's something that happens every day. I try to keep that within three degrees. My goal is when there's a big event coming in, I expect to get those right.
6⟩ Tell me why and how are cyclone names chosen?
Tropical cyclones are named to provide ease of communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches, and warnings. Having a name also raises the profile of the cyclone heightening the public's awareness. Since the storms can often last a week or longer and that more than one can be occurring in the same region at the same time, names can also reduce the confusion about what storm is being described.
The Bureau of Meteorology maintains a list of names (arranged alphabetically and alternating male and female). A name remains on the list until its corresponding cyclone severely impacts the coast (e.g. Larry and Vance). The name is then permanently retired and replaced with another (of the same gender and first letter). It can take over 10 years from the time a name is put on the list to when it is first used to name a cyclone.
7⟩ Explain me what does your work entail?
In simplest terms my job consists of two things.
1) making the forecast and
2) giving it out!
8⟩ Tell me how has technology improved to make forecasting more accurate?
It's just the data that's available now. When I started there were two basic models that you could get every 12 hours. Now there are more models available that crunch the data down.
9⟩ Tell me how did you become interested in the weather?
It really goes back to my childhood and growing up in the Midwest watching thunderstorms. Going back to when I was 7 or 8 we had a big sliding glass door and I would watch the lightning and it was fascinating.
10⟩ Tell me what is a tropical cyclone?
A tropical cyclone is defined as a non-frontal low pressure system of synoptic scale developing over warm waters having organised convection and a maximum mean wind speed of 34 knots or greater extending more than half-way around near the centre and persisting for at least six hours.
Every cyclone is unique varying according to a number of factors including life cycle, intensity, movement, size and impact (wind, storm surge and flooding).
11⟩ Explain me what about tsunamis?
A tsunami is a series of ocean waves with very long wavelengths (typically hundreds of kilometres) caused by large-scale disturbances of the ocean, such as:
earthquakes
landslide
volcanic eruptions
explosions
meteorites
These disturbances can either be from below (e.g. underwater earthquakes with large vertical displacements, submarine landslides) or from above (e.g. meteorite impacts). They are not caused by tropical cyclones.
12⟩ Tell me when did you decide to be a meteorologist?
I probably knew when I was in second, third grade it was something I wanted to do.
13⟩ Explain me what is the eye and eye wall?
The circular eye or centre of a tropical cyclone is an area characterised by light winds, fine weather and often clear skies. The eye is the region of lowest surface pressure
The size of the eye varies from one cyclone to the next ranging from 10 km to over 100 km. The eye diameter of severe cyclones off the northwest coast tends to be about 20 to 40 km, and are typically smaller than those in some other parts of the world such as the north Pacific. The eye size of Tracy (Darwin, 1974) was just 12 km across. Rosita (Broome, 2000) only had an eye diameter of 20 km.
14⟩ Explain me what do you do for a living?
I’m the Chief Meteorologist at KRDO Newschannel 13 the ABC affiliate in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
15⟩ Explain what advice would you offer someone considering this career?
You’ve got to LOVE the weather for it to be worth it. Don’t get into this just because you want to be on TV.
16⟩ Explain me what's the hardest part about forecasting?
The fact that things can change at a moment's notice. One small change in something in the atmosphere can mess up your whole forecast.
17⟩ Tell me how much time off do you get/take?
I’ve been at KRDO Newschannel 13 for more than ten years so I get about 3 weeks off per year plus some sick time.
18⟩ Explain me what type of education and training is needed?
I got a bachelor of arts in atmospheric science from the University of Kansas.
19⟩ Tell me when did the naming of cyclones begin?
The convention of naming Australian tropical cyclones began in 1964. The first Western Australian named cyclone was Bessie that formed on 6 January 1964. Female names were used exclusively until the current convention of alternating male and female names commenced in 1975.
The naming of weather systems in Australia began much earlier than the 1960s, however. The flamboyant Clement Wragge, Government meteorologist in Queensland from 1887 until 1902, initiated the practice by naming weather systems after anything from mythological creatures to politicians who may have annoyed him.
20⟩ Explain me what's the craziest weather day or night you've covered?
Mapleton would have to be up there and Hurricane Brett back in 1999 (while working in Texas). Hurricane Brett was a three-day marathon. In all that time I think I had eight hours of sleep.
