They're Never Wrong When You Want Them To Be

Quick! Name someone who hears complaints all day, every day:

--Not only your parent, spouse, friends, or the IRS..........

It's the Meteorologist.

What different kinds of meteorologists are there?


Television and Radio Meteorologists: These are the folks who make their best attempt at letting us know what to expect weather-wise, for today and over the next few days. They take data from the National Weather Service and NOAA (see below) , map out their predictions, and then let us know what they forecast.

Research: These meteorologists find out how the weather changes and why. They track historical weather patterns and environmental changes that relate to weather; they may also study particular weather phenomena such as tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, or even wildfires.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association website is here: http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/

Interesting:  You can participate in the PING (Precipitation Identification Near the Ground) program to help them collect data. Details are on the website.

A Climatologist is a meteorologist who specializes in studying climate change, whether that's in a local area or a particular part of the world (such as rain forests) or possibly the world as a whole. Other specialized meteorologists study air quality or water quality as it relates to the weather.

Military: A meteorologist in the military serves an important purpose: tracking weather conditions that affect military operations.

Teaching: You might teach others about meteorology, whether as a part of studies such as in K-12 education, or on the college level, whether students major in meteorology or not.

Here is the National Weather Service website: If you scroll down you'll see lots  of weather-related  information..  http://www.weather.gov/.

Where else is weather predicting important?

• Airlines need to know when visibility is poor or if weather conditions might make it dangerous to fly.
• Road crews need to know when enough snow is expected to make plowing necessary
• Electric companies find it helpful to be able to predict high usage of air conditioning
• Shopping malls, stadiums or arenas, schools, or hospitals need to be aware of any dangerous weather.

 What degree(s) do you need to be a meteorologist?

There are specific degrees in Meteorology, but you could also look into related studies such as Geology, Atmospheric Science, Earth Science, or Hydrology, as well as computer-driven research of weather, such as studying patterns, analyzing air movement, and predicting floods and other nature-related disasters including blizzards, floods, and tornadoes. You can also study how pollution affects weather.

Coursework for this degree generally includes a high concentration on science-related subjects with an emphasis on Earth Science; you will study Atmospheric physics, chemistry, as well as computer science, statistics, instrumentation, and measurements. Depending on your specialty, you will need other courses. For example, if you want to be someone who broadcasts weather predictions on radio or television, you will need courses in journalism, speech, and communications.

Here is a link to St Cloud State University's meteorology program: http://bulletin.stcloudstate.edu/ugb/programs/ahs.asp

And to the American Meteorological Society:
http://www.ametsoc.org/careercenter/careers.html

Did you know?

• Aristotle is considered the father of Meteorology.
• The most rainfall in one day was 73.62" in the Indian Ocean, in 1952.
• The highest temperature in the world was 136 degrees Fahrenheit, in Libya, in 1922.
• The lowest temperature in the world was -128.6 degrees Fahrenheit, in Antarctica, in 1983 (not counting the windchill).
• The longest path of a tornado on the ground was recorded at 293 miles, from Missouri to Indiana in 1917.