National Weather Persons Day

Chris Cimino

2/5/20254 min read

Today is National Weatherpersons Day. It's also National Girls & Women in Sports Day. Last, but not least, it's National Shower With a Friend Day. That last one would require an entirely dedicated blog for a later time. I would also like to say kudos to the girls and women who have excelled and pushed hard against some social stigmas to become the highly talented and recognized athletes of today.

Of course, the main reason for this post is for National Weather Persons Day. Being one of the select group of folks who've decided to make a career out of weather prognosticating I just wanted to share a few thoughts.

To be perfectly honest I do believe we have a few too many national days. I feel that national eye crust day is just going too far. That's a joke...don't believe we have one......yet!

It is a nice honor to be recognized. I've been forecasting the weather for a living since my first part-time job at a company called Compu-Weather back in the Fall of 1981. I was still in college at the time, but jumped at the opportunity to begin working in a field that was tough to break into due to limited job availabilities.

By the Spring of 1982 I moved over to a company called Metro Weather for a better opportunity. Pat Pagano and Craig Allen of CBS News Radio 88 fame and more, were at the helm. I learned so much from both of them in my time there and really developed not only forecasting knowledge, but how to broadcast the information to the public in an understandable and also entertaining manner.

I now have a new weather family at WPIX11. For the last three years working alongside the one and only Mr. G and company has been a blast. At my age, it's not easy finding elder statesmen in the business, but Mr. G is one who I truly enjoy listening to as he tells of stories from the past in the industry. It's a treat, but many of those stories will not go any further than my own ears.

From covering the Blizzard of 1996, to Hurricane Katrina on the Today Show while Al Roker was out having emergency back surgery, as well as ringing the closing bell at the NYSE after Superstorm Sandy, I would change nothing.

I celebrate National Weatherpersons Day in gratitude. Thankful for so many great people I've met and worked with. The viewers and fans who's love and appreciation for what we all do everyday, I could not express fully how humbled I am by it.

I know I am leaving out folks who were all very important along this journey. Hopefully one day I'll put it all together in a book.

Right now I just want to acknowledge all my fellow weather folks in appreciation for what they do as well. In the big scheme of careers, meteorologists are still a rare breed. Whether they are on TV or radio or broadcasting on a streaming platform, as well as those that do the research and observing everyday, I tip my hat to you all and say Happy Weather Persons Day!

Sunshine Always!!

I don't want to get into my resume here, but suffice to say it's been an amazing ride as a broadcast meteorologist. From driving to Rochester NY every weekend for my first TV job, 365 miles each way from my home in East Brunswick, NJ, to working alongside Al Roker and so many amazing anchors at the Today Show. I can't help but take a step back and shake my head in appreciation.

I gained a family of friends from my years at WNBC, some of who I still see and stay in touch with. Spent time with the likes of Willard Scott, a dear sweet and funny man. I have many colleagues who started as interns for us at WNBC who are now on the air in many different markets around the country. That perhaps is one of the things I'm most proud of, seeing people that were under your wing now soaring in their careers. It doesn't get much better than that.