How to become a Meteorologist with Maureen McCann
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How to become a Meteorologist with Maureen McCann - Episode 059
It isn’t always sunny in Florida, we deal with hurricanes and the occasional cold front. Who is in charge of giving this information to the people? Meteorologists are responsible for researching and presenting the weather forecasts to the public. But how does someone become a meteorologist and what is the difference between a meteorologist and weatherperson?
We are bringing back Career Week Gone Wild and this week I’m talking with Maureen McCann, our local meteorologist from Channel 13 News. We discuss her career as a broadcaster, but also the steps to get there, how she pulled from middle school and high school experiences and how sometimes the way to get ahead when you are a teen is to go after what you want. Sometimes school gives you that little taste of what you want to learn, but it’s up to the student and the parents to go above and beyond that to ignite a career. We even talk about where she hides that little old Emmy award.
Listen to the full episode of School Counselor Gone Rogue for all the details, but here are some excerpts from our conversation!
How to Get a Start in Weather Broadcasting
Marni Pasch: I did a little investigation on Google and your bio. You said it was a hurricane that sparked your interest in weather, while you were living up north? Tell us about that experience and how it started your love of weather.
Maureen McCann: I think it was probably before that hurricane. I was born with an interest in weather, but that’s what sticks in my mind – Hurricane Gloria, when I was four years old. I lived in Massachusetts. I’m originally from Arlington. I remember that storm because our tree fell down – it fell on our neighbor’s car. I was also scared of the weather – I was scared of thunderstorms as a kid. I thought if I was a meteorologist, I would be less scared, because I would know when the weather was going to be bad. The other thing that got me into the weather – we watched the news every night as a family while we ate dinner. At 6 p.m., the news was on, no exception. The weather was always my favorite part. I was really engaged in news, especially weather. That combined with hurricane Gloria led me on a path to eventually want a career in meteorology.
MP: When you say you had this fear of weather – was that your immediate thought - to study weather?
MM: As a kid, I was scared of loud noises. I really enjoy thunderstorms now. I still don’t like sudden loud noises; I just thought that if I was a meteorologist and knew when the weather was going to be bad, I wouldn’t be scared, especially for thunderstorms that would come in the middle of the night. I remember wanting to be informed about what the weather was going to be like that so I wasn’t going to be caught off guard. Being from New England, you get four seasons. I used to love snow days and snowstorms.
MP: I think when I first moved to Florida, I had an ice scraper in my car for five years because that’s just what you have in your car when you live up north. Do you carry an umbrella all the time?
MM: I do. An umbrella or a rain jacket. I don’t want to get caught without no umbrella or rain jacket. I want to be prepared, especially in the summer months. I feel uncomfortable when I don’t have that with me.
MP: You would think I’d learn my lesson after 11 years of being in Florida, but I still refuse to carry an umbrella anywhere. I’m still waiting to not be surprised by the 3 p.m. thunderstorm. But, going back to your childhood – how did you continue that knowledge? Was there a program at school that helped you explore that knowledge? Or was it self-taught?
MM: A little bit of both. I do remember weather units in elementary school, maybe in first and sixth grade. I remember doing the weather unit in sixth grade because that’s when we did the tornado in a bottle thing and the weather in a bottle thing. It was already declared at that point – I’m going to be a meteorologist. I had a lot of weather books. I watched a lot of the Weather Channel in the ‘80s and ‘90s, that’s where a lot of my early education came about.
As I went through high school and you take your standard classes, I started to double up on sciences because I knew that would prepare me for college. After talking with my guidance counselor and realizing the importance of math, I actually realized I was a little behind in math. I had to take a course at the community college while in high school to prepare me for the rigorous course load that would come with an atmospheric science major. When I was in high school, I was in this pilot “new math” program – the interactive mathematics program. It was advertised as no textbooks and all group work – and while the courses were a little more engaging and interesting than standard algebra 1 and algebra 2, my guidance counselor said: “yeah, this program is not going to prepare you for college.”
That’s when I had to really enhance my pre-calculus and calculus. Once I got to college, I was an atmospheric science major at Cornell University. I soon found out that that it was a lot of calculus-based physics and four semesters of calculus and that was really tough. The other thing along the way was back to watching TV- watching the news and watching the same team every night. Channel 4 in Boston. I felt like I knew the people on TV because I watched them every night. I was not shy. So I picked up the phone and called the meteorologist – Bruce Schwoegler was his name
MP: I love when kids are like “I am not waiting to be told how to do something in a set manner.” It’s like you just go out and do it….
Want to find out how Maureen McCann got her foot in the door? Listen to the full episode at iTunes, Sticher, iheartradio or click the audio box above!
What Opportunities are Available for Meteorologists
MP: If someone is a little more timid about being in front of a camera, what other avenues can people explore if they are studying meteorology or weather?
MM: This is something I speak about in schools too. Some people may be interested in the weather, but they’re not crazy about being on TV. The thing about being on TV is because of technology, I’m in a room with no people in the morning. I’m basically talking to myself in front of the camera, while my co-anchors are there. It’s a different kind of public speaking because yes, you’re talking to a camera, but there’s no one in the room. They’re all at home.
I think that meteorology has so many different opportunities now and it’s only getting better and better. We need more information about the weather. We need more research about severe weather and hurricanes to improve the warning process so we can be better prepared.
When I’m in the schools, I always say “You could be a forecaster at the national weather service – those offices are all around the country. You could stay local here in Florida or you could go anywhere with the National Weather Service and in NOAA and other areas of the government, there’s always a need for meteorologists." But there’s the private sector: If you have an interest in graphic design, you could be a designer working one of the weather vendors - like the Weather Company or Baron. There are a handful of companies that employ all different types of meteorologists, engineers, and designers. On the business side, there’s Accuweather, large corporations. But then, you could also just be a general forecaster for yourself to be a consultant and do weather forecasting.
Another example I often give: I have a friend who was a meteorologist for M&M Mars, forecasting for the summer on cocoa products in South and Central America. I remember hearing that Tropicana and Minute Maid have meteorologists on staff to forecast for the orange groves. There’s a whole division of agricultural meteorology.
MP: Get out of town! So, like I could be the meteorologist for like Brach’s Candy Corn somewhere. That’s insane! I’m so glad you go into schools and share these things. I probably would have had such a narrow view of what it would have been like, and never known of these opportunities. That just blows my mind.
My daughter was super excited to discover she could work for free M&Ms. I never thought about all the ways you could apply a degree in the weather sciences. Want to learn about the other outside the box? Listen to the full episode now!
What does Maureen Wish She Knew Back Then?
MP: If you look back when you were in school, was there something that you desperately needed to hear back then? What would you share?
MM: I always think that I wish I had a more solid knowledge of math with the formative algebra. The things you learn in 7-8th grade – order of operations, very basic things. That will take you a long way. I did learn that, but I think I wasn’t placed in the right classes to prepare me for a rigorous math and science career. Getting early math down solid will give you the foundation to take the higher-level math. I really wish that I sharpened those skills at an earlier age because I felt like I was behind. I wasn’t fully aware of how important
MP: Who ultimately placed you in that experimental program?
MM: I’d have to ask my mom how that went down. I was a good student and I was selected – again, it was a pilot program. It was a 4-year program and I was selected to be in it. Sounded great. No textbooks, all group work. Then you realize this isn’t for the people who need that foundation in math to get into higher-level college coursework, especially the calculus-based physics.
MP: I think that’s something parents struggle with, even to this day. There’s project calculus – I don’t know anything about it, but I think that’s one that’s been pushed recently. I know it can be flattering to see your child in a specialized math program, but I always encourage parents to look at the endgame too. Sometimes taking Algebra in sixth grade or seventh grade may mean that your child as a freshman may be in trigonometry with a bunch of seniors. When they’re seniors, how much higher are they going to be able to go at that point? Always, in addition to looking at the immediate benefit, look a few years down the road to see where they might be.
Because you mentioned the importance of the basics. And I’m wondering now with such a push to accelerate kids so quickly into higher math if they’re not getting the basics for long enough. What I saw when I was briefly in the high schools was that kids were getting placed in that higher-level math, and they were like “I was never really taught the first step.”
In Closing
One of the things I want to highlight is students—if you’re not seeing results quick enough in where you want to see your career go – go after it. If you want to be in broadcasting or be a meteorologist, write to your local channel and ask. You never know unless you try. If you’re in class and only getting a small taste of a topic that interests you go to a library and learn more yourself, just like Maureen did.
Don’t let school limit your passion. Use it to grow and learn on your own. Don’t let it be the end. Go beyond. Like in the movie Flash Dance, take your passion and make it happen!
Listen to the full episode for more tips and front line stories of the transition to middle school. You can subscribe to the show on iTunes, Apple Podcast, Stitcher, Googleplay, or Iheartradio or visit http://www.schoolcounselorgonerogue.com each week for the full episode (though let’s be honest, subscribing is so much easier!)
You can also sign up for the waitlist for The Organized School Year at teampasch.com/theorganizedschoolyear. It’s an intensive workshop to help your child create and implement an organization system that meets their needs.
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Highlights
How to start a career as a weather reporter
How to become a meteorologist
What careers are available for meteorologists
Mauren McCaan | Meteorologist at Channel 13 News in Orlando, FL
Mauren McCaan is a meteorologist at Channel 13 news in Orlando, Fl. In addition to working in Orlando, Maureen McCaan worked at News 13 from KMGH in Denver. Before Denver, she spent several years in Texas at News 8 Austin, now Time Warner Cable News. When not reporting on local weather changes, she belongs to the rotary club and loves the awesome sounds of Huey Lewis!
