The changing face of weather forecasting

In television's early days, weather forecasting was an easy job. You'd get the forecast from the National Weather Service, stand in front of a giant map, and point accordingly. Science took a back seat to personality, and with good reason. Any news director will tell you that weather is the primary reason why people watch local news. Nobody cared about the jargon; they just wanted to know if it would rain tomorrow.

Science gradually made its way into weather forecasting throughout the 1980s. Gone was the "weatherman," in its place was the "meteorologist," someone with a degree in meteorology who knew the difference between cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds. The premise was still the same, though. You'd get the forecast from the National Weather Service (or AccuWeather), stand in front of a giant map, and point accordingly. But now you had moving graphics and an AMS seal!

Today, weather forecasting has taken a somewhat unscientific turn. Local forecasters, like Kurt Aaron and Dave Skutnik, are expected to grab a microphone and cover stories once in a while. And in small markets, job postings for weather forecasters now mandate reporting duties. Meteorology degrees are no longer required for that coveted "meteorologist" title, as distance learning programs allow you to meet the minimum requirements for that AMS or NWA seal.

One thing has remained constant in weather forecasting: personality is a must. People can easily turn to The Weather Channel for their forecast, which means the local weather forecaster needs a hook to pull the viewers in. For example, Vince Sweeney's dry wit has made him something of a legend in this market. And then you have the people who watch Joe Snedeker in the mornings, if only because they want to complain about him on WNEP's message boards thereafter.