Job Descriptions of Weather Forecasters
Weather forecasters, also known as meteorologists, study Earth's atmosphere to see how it affects the environment as well as attempt to predict weather patterns. Weather forecasters serve in a variety of positions in many organizations. Most weather forecasters need at least a bachelor's degree in meteorology to get a job. The median salary is about $70,000.
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Television Weather Person
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Television weather forecasters collect and analyze weather data in order to predict the weather in a geographic area for the viewers of the show. They collect information about temperature, precipitation, air currents and humidity from satellites and radar. Computer programs can help them determine how past weather compares to current conditions.
Airport Weather Forecasters
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Airport weather forecasters work at airports to determine how the weather will affect planes taking off, landing and flying in the skies around the airport. They are especially concerned with the effects of extreme temperatures, precipitation in the air and on runways, and high winds. They are the ones who usually decide whether planes will be allowed to fly as scheduled.
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National Weather Service
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The National Weather Service employs a number of forecasters in its attempt to predict weather across the country and over bordering waters and oceans in order to protect people's lives and economic interests. The National Weather Service can issue a number of warnings such as flash flood warnings, tornado warnings and hurricane warnings. When they predict that weather will be severe enough, they can even order evacuations of populated areas.
Climatologists
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Climatologists study the long-term effects of changes in the weather. These weather forecasters look at historical data and attempt to explain why the weather changes over time. They then use those theories to attempt to explain what will happen to the climate in the future. Some climatologists address very specific matters, such as physical meteorologists who research how radio waves travel in various weather conditions.
Agricultural Weather Forecasters
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Agricultural weather forecasters work to predict the weather in agricultural areas to improve crops. Many crops are particularly sensitive to cold so it is vital that forecasters be accurate when they, for example, predict the last frost of the season. Forecasters must also be accurate with precipitation estimates because many crops are sensitive to too much or too little rain and farmers cannot waste fertilizer or risk chemical runoff from pesticides if a violent storm follows a spraying of a field.
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