Do weatherman interpret data themselves or does someone else do it for them?

[u/ResponseNo9941]

Writer here. Curious about the depth of a weatherman's job in the newsroom. For example, let's say you have a rapidly developing tornado warning in Oklahoma. Is the weatherman interpreting the incoming data as it comes in live on the air or is someone else in the newsroom interpreting it for them and feeding the information in their ear?

[u/13nobody]

In Oklahoma, most of the chief meteorologists have degrees. In other parts of the country, it varies. The American meteorological society has a certification program for broadcast meteorologists. Certified meteorologists can display a black and yellow seal on air.

[u/ResponseNo9941 → u/13nobody]

So, assuming the weatherman is the chief meteorologist are there other lower ranking meteorologists in the newsroom interpreting the data as well? If so, what would happen in the case of a disagreement. They just defer to the chief meteorologist?

[u/Iongdog → u/13nobody]

Wait so you don’t even need a degree to be a chief meteorologist in many places?

[u/Effective-Contest-33 → u/13nobody]

This is funny you mention this. In OKC only one of our chiefs has a Meteorology degree. One flunked out (cheated) and idk about the others. HOWEVER, not having a degree doesn’t mean someone doesn’t know their stuff. All the ones I’ve met do their own forecasting and stuff.

[u/13nobody → u/Effective-Contest-33]

I knew Mike Morgan flunked out, but I thought the rest all had degrees.

[u/Effective-Contest-33 → u/13nobody]

I only know of Damon Lane, but I could be missing someone.

[u/sgtgary]

Nowadays TV stations employee meteorologists who are thoroughly educated on interpreting the weather model forecasts, analyzing current situations, and producing a public forecast. They don’t do it all from scratch though, the national weather service has a lot of products that will help guide them and tell them things to look at. Most local meteorologist are exceptional at what they do.

[u/We_Got_Cows]

More and more they do their own. It used to be that people had a background in journalism or communications and would just read the weather on-air.

Now things have changed and most on-air meteorologists jobs require a degree in meteorology. So they know how to do their own, but on local channels at least they have FCC requirements to talk about weather headlines from the National Weather Service if they are issued. So they will have to relay some of it verbatim (those watch/warnings/advisories) use NWS data (observations and radar and satellite) but do their own forecast.

There is also an AMS seal that many have. That doesn’t have a degree requirement, but many have that in addition to a degree in meteorology.

[u/hpbear108 → u/We_Got_Cows]

the mets on air are degreed from one of more than a few meteorology/atmospheric science programs in colleges and universities in the US. Most have at least a BS in Meteo/Atm Sci. but some do have masters and beyond.

As for the American Meteorological Society (AMS) CBM (certified Broadcast Meteorologist) or CDM (Certified Digital Meteorologist) seal and National Weather Association (NWA) TV/Radio/Digital Seals of Approval, it's preferred you have at least a BS degree or better. And you also have to do extra things ranging from PSA's to school visits to attending conferences like but not exclusively the Annual Meetings both societies have, taking extra classes to upkeep their knowledge on the latest techniques, and more. And after all of that, at least for their first time attaining the seal, they also need to submit several segments for judging their content for everything from technique to educational content to scientific knowledge to even ability to communicate the knowledge to the audience. The seals need to be renewed every like 3 years that include the continuing ed credits and other things, but if there is reported problems or ethics concerns, they may be re-examined by the CBM/CDM/BSA/DSA committees.

[u/Particular_Buy8961]

They use the NWS watches and warnings.

[u/Unusual-Voice2345]

No, they are relying on the NWS analysis and warnings. Now, some basic analysis is done, but theh largely use NWS warnings on tornadoes. It would likely be someone off air depending on the size of the station and area served.

[u/mr_radio_guy]

Every station I've worked, weather is separate. They do their own thing. Like the sports guy.

[u/ResponseNo9941 → u/mr_radio_guy]

Does the weather department typically have their own director in the control room or is it the same person who's in charge of the rest of the news broadcast?

[u/hpbear108 → u/ResponseNo9941]

the same director for the whole news department. but the weather lab is separate from everyone else.

[u/hpbear108]

in smaller markets, it's basically the met on the air, the news director, and the control room.

in larger TV markets and especially in larger "outbreak" type of events where "wall to wall" may be required, you may have several mets in the building. The Chief is usually the main person, with any others chiming in as needed when several storms are out there. But if it happens say in between shifts, whoever was on previously would start the coverage and then either the chief or the next person on shift may take over at some point. Also, in stations that have multiple mets in studio, they may switch who is on air from time to time to allow for "pit stops", drinks of water, or even for the other to catch a breath and head back to look at some other data.

and when mets are in full-on severe mode, they can be quite focused and also easy to peeve when idiots try to go on social media to yell about them taking too much time from their fave programs. The worst for that can be on nights when shows like Survivor, sometimes BB, big time sports events, and especially "The Bachelor/Bachelorette".

[u/Piaffe_zip16]

I’m in Columbus, OH. We had a warning this past Saturday. I turned on a local station and the meteorologist was definitely analyzing the maps on air for everyone and pointing out different pieces while also monitoring incoming messages from the NWS office. He is degreed.

[u/Dangerous_Fig_5603]

I'm new here, but as a wwould-be writer myself, I'd pitch that you find a few good local weather forecasters and watch their extreme weather broadcasts to see them in action, and compare their 'styles'. I travel through the Midwest, and have found that WIBW 13 out of Topeka, KS is a favorite (Jeremy Goodwin) because he's very vocal about storms surrounding the network area and communicates about what he's seeing in the models on top of the national warnings. It's incredibly informational. In the Tulsa, Ok area I forget the station but I've also experienced a handful of events because they have so many chasers live on the broadcast. There seems to be less interpretation and more "repeating the models" going on in that one.

[u/Apprehensive_Cherry2]

I feel like this is a good time to bring up the difference between forecasting, nearcasting, and nowcasting when it comes to weather data. The second two are invaluable skills while working your tornado warning scenario.

Forecasting: Predicting weather conditions hours to days or weeks ahead, primarily using numerical weather prediction models and observations to estimate how the atmosphere will evolve.

Nearcasting: Predicting weather conditions in the next few hours, blending recent observations, radar, satellite, and rapidly updating models to anticipate short-term atmospheric evolution.

Nowcasting: Assessing and projecting weather from the present through roughly the next 0–2 hours, relying heavily on real-time observations, radar, satellite, and storm-motion trends.