Homework Assignment

By Bill Korbel

I recently received the following email:

Hello, my name is Emily and I am a 4th grade student at St Peters of Alcantara School in Port Washington.  We are doing a science project on weather.  Part of the project requires that we learn about meteorologists.  I hope you can help me.  Please tell me a little about your job and your training.  I hope to hear from you very soon.  Thank you for your help.  Emily

Emily is not the only student to request information like this for school assignments and to be honest, it takes a lot of time to answer them on an individual basis.  So, assuming there are more Emily's out there among our huge Long island audience, I decided to put my response out there for anyone else needing information.  It'll save us all (especially me) a lot of time.

Hi Emily

I'll have to keep this brief, but let me try to answer your questions.

Meteorologists are scientists who study the atmosphere.  Some, like me, are forecasters whose job is to predict the weather.  Others are researchers who try to learn more about the atmosphere and how it works.  For example, atmospheric scientists are trying to learn if there is a  threat of global warming by collecting and analyzing past and present data on worldwide temperature trends.  A few meteorologists chase tornadoes or fly into hurricanes so we can learn more about these powerful storms.  Other meteorologists predict the weather for aviation so the pilots know what weather to expect on a flight and can plan a route that will avoid the bad weather.

To become a meteorologist, you must attend a college that specializes in atmospheric science.  Mathematics and an interest in science are vital for someone who wants to become a meteorologist so it is very important to study those subjects in school.

Those of us who predict the weather on TV are a very small part of the meteorological industry.  It is our job to study weather patterns, formulate weather forecasts, make the graphics you see on television and present it all to the audience.  We have to be able to explain something very complicated in a simple way so everyone knows what to expect.  Not all the people you see talking about the weather on TV are meteorologists, but most, like all of us at News 12 Long Island, are. I spend about two hours each day preparing the forecast and making the graphics I use on air.  At News 12, I am on air from 5PM to 6:30 PM, from 7:30 to 8:30 PM and from 10 PM to 11 PM.  In between broadcasts, I continuously monitor weather conditions and update the forecast as more data comes in. 

Emily, if you want more information, look at the American Meteorological Society web page.  http://www.ametsoc.org/careercenter/careers.html#meteorologists

Thanks for writing and good luck with your project.

Bill Korbel
Chief Meteorologist
News12 Long Island