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Hey everyone!
As I continue to share more of my life with you through these articles, it’s only fair that I share some of my favorite interests. First, for context, as some of you know I grew up in Tampa and constantly had to deal with thunderstorms, hurricane watches and brutal humidity. With having to stay in tune with the elements, almost on a daily basis, I quickly developed a passion – more so a love – for the weather, but more specifically Jim Cantore.
For those of you who are not familiar with Jim (even though he should be a household name at this point), he’s the on-camera meteorologist for The Weather Channel television network. Jim has been one of the nation’s most respected and renowned forecasters for more than 30 years. His ability to explain to viewers the scientific cause-and-effect of the weather transcends from meteorology to journalism. To put it plainly, Jim Cantore is the Elvis Presley, Tom Brady, David Ortiz of weather.
Along with my love of the weather in general, I see a lot of similarities between meteorologists and sideline reporters – both are on-camera and reported live, the stories/elements are unscripted and unpredictable, and most of the time we’re the ones actually dealing with the weather while updating the audience in the rain, sleet and snow (I’m thinking of you Green Bay!). Jim has also worked in sports and for big events covering the Olympics, NASA launches, NFL games, PGA tournaments and the Winter X Games.
Throughout his career, Cantore has covered major weather events such as Hurricanes Katrina, Sandy, Matthew, Irma and Dorian. For him, he describes covering and reporting on these storms as “his Super Bowl”, noting that he feels responsible for relaying the most up to date facts to his viewers to keep them safe and informed. It’s this level of dedication that I admire about Jim and has allowed his audience to trust him and his reporting for over 30 years.
Unlike my job though, there is no offseason for the weather – Jim is working 24/7, 365 days a year monitoring potential storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and “thundersnow” (a thunderstorm that produces snow instead of rain). Jim got his start at the Weather Channel in 1986 immediately after graduating college and has never left. Along with anchoring and forecasting the nation’s weather day-to-day, Cantore helps produce documentaries on meteorology, forecasting and historic storms. In 2019, Jim received a News and Documentary Emmy for his role in The Weather Channel’s Immersive Mixed Reality storytelling which depicted the dangers of tornadoes.
After sharing my love for the weather (but mostly Jim), I want to hear from you – what’s a passion or hobby of yours that some people may be surprised to hear? Drop your answers below in the comments, especially if you’re like me and love all things weather.
Until next time,
Erin
