Workforce Wednesday: Meet a Chief Meteorologist
“Every meteorology person has a storm that they remember that got them into weather,” said Mark Holley, Chief Meteorologist at News Channel 7 WSAW-TV in Wausau, Wis.
Holley, who has worked in broadcast meteorology for nearly 15 years, says he enjoys keeping people informed about what will happen with the weather.
Farmers and growers in Central Wisconsin rely on Holley’s forecasts to help guide scheduling decisions. He provides soil temperatures in the spring to assist with planting decisions, and fall forecasts help growers decide when to harvest their crops.
Holley’s forecasts are built on high tech public models. Using technology, meteorologists utilize equations to calculate changes in atmospheric conditions.
“You look through (the models) and you decide what the forecast is 12 hours out, 24 hours out and then you just start building out a forecast from there up to seven days out,” Holley said.
Holley not only builds forecasts, he also delivers them to the WSAW-TV audiences Monday through Friday at 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Part of his duties include sharing weather updates on social media. He also contributes updates for local radio stations.
“There's always a way to get weather out there, and there's always people out there looking for it,” Holley said.
Holley’s love for weather began with a snowstorm when he was in high school, and it grew from there.
“I was living in Pottstown, Penn. at the time and we picked up 30 inches of snow in one day, and we missed a week of school,” Holley said. “I was a soon-to-be a sophomore in high school and that really got me going in my career.”
During high school, Holley delivered the weather during his school’s morning announcements. He began his degree at University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, and then he completed a degree in broadcast meteorology at Mississippi State University.
Holley encourages anyone considering a career in meteorology to take math and science courses. He also said it’s important to take public speaking courses as well, depending on the type of meteorology one is interested in. Meteorologists can work in both public and private, depending on preference.
There's not just one narrow road to go down,” Holley said. “There are lots of side roads and other highways so to speak that you can go into different careers.”
Career options include the National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Center for Atmospheric Research, consulting firms, airlines, television stations and other organizations.
“There are other things to do as well if you have a passion for weather,” Holley said. “I absolutely love what I do.”
What is something you wish you had known on your first day:
Weather always slows down. It doesn't speed up. For example, if I think today, today's Monday, if I think a cold front is going to be here on Friday at 8 a.m. to bring snow or rain, I'm going to push that 8 a.m. to at least 6 p.m. Weather always slows down.
