Twin States Weather Blog

Want To Be A Meteorologist?

* Forgive the late nature of the podcast today, but I wanted to take the time to discuss the field of meteorology. As graduation approaches, many high school students are searching for a college major. And, some of those people are likely interested in meteorology. For that reason, this blog post and podcast are dedicated to providing information to those who are interested. I want this to be a very frank and honest discussion for those interested in entering this field...

* Where should you go to college?

There is no right or wrong answer to this question. There are many good meteorology schools across our country, but we are pretty lucky to have two of the best within a 3 hour drive.

Mississippi State University is located in Starkville, and they have a great program for broadcast meteorology. Also, they are expanding their curriculum to include more operational weather classes, for those interested in government or private sector forecasting careers.

If you're interested, check out these resources on the web:

MSU Broadcast Meteorology

MSU Operational Meteorology

E-Mail Professor Mike Brown

The University of South Alabama is located in Mobile, Alabama. They have a growing broadcast meteorology program, and an established operational meteorology program. Both of their programs have placed people into great jobs over the last few years.

For information on South Alabama's program, check out these links:

USA Meteorology

USA Meteorology Contact Page

* What kind of classes should you take in high school and early college?

Load up on math (especially calculus) and physics. Both of these will be required at most meteorology schools. I would strongly recommend some web programming and computer coursework as well.

* What are a few pros and cons about the field of meteorology?

PROS:
Job satisfaction
Challenging
Diverse workplace environments

CONS:
Hours
Starting salaries can be low in some cases
Job security is low in some cases

The pros outweigh the cons, but I believe those entering this field should have a deep passion for weather. If you just want to be on TV, consider a different career choice.

* How will the field change in years to come?

The television weather business is undergoing some rapid and important changes. The growing popularity of the internet is changing the flow of advertising dollars, and TV stations are responding to this trend. If you plan on becoming a TV meteorologist, you should know up front that you will be more of a "content provider" than simply a broadcaster. You will be doing a lot of internet work, so some web programming coursework is strongly recommended.

* If you have questions about the field, shoot me an email:

josh.johnson@wtok.com

* Today's podcast includes some advice for high school and college students entering meteorology. And, of course, we talk about your latest forecast...Check it out:

http://media.graytvinc.com/audio/Podcast1.mp3

* You can point your IPod or MP3 receiving program to this RSS feed in order to subscribe:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/11Podcast

posted by WTOK Weather Staff @ 3:26 PM