Meteorologists, climatologists, and weathercasters

What do meteorologists really do?

<“Learn the Basic Science of Meteorology” >

By Rachelle Oblack
Updated on December 22, 2018

While most people know a meteorologist is a person who is trained in the atmospheric or weather sciences, many may not be aware that there is more to a meteorologist's job than simply forecasting the weather.

A meteorologist is a person who has received a specialized education to use scientific principles to explain, understand, observe, and forecast the earth's atmospheric phenomena and how this affects the earth and life on the planet.

Weathercasters, on the other hand, do not have specialized educational backgrounds and merely disseminate weather information and forecasts prepared by others.

Although not many people do it, it's rather easy to become a meteorologist—all you need to do is earn a bachelor's, master's, or even doctorate in meteorology or in atmospheric sciences. After completing a degree in the field, meteorologists can apply to work for science research centers, news stations, and a variety of other government jobs related to climatology.

Jobs in the Field of Meteorology

While meteorologists are well-known for issuing your forecasts, this is only one example of the jobs that they do—they also report on the weather, prepare weather warnings, study long-term weather patterns, and even teach others about meteorology as professors.

Broadcast meteorologists report the weather for television, which is a popular career choice as it is entry-level, which means you only need a Bachelor's degree to do it (or sometimes, no degree at all); on the other hand, forecasters are responsible for preparing and issuing weather forecasts as well as watches and warnings, to the public.

Climatologists look at long-term weather patterns and data to help assess past climate and to predict future climate trends while research meteorologists include storm chasers and hurricane hunters and require a Master's degree or a Ph.D. Research meteorologists generally work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Weather Service (NWS), or another government agency.

Some meteorologists, like forensic or consulting meteorologists, are hired for their expertise in the field to help other professionals. Forensic meteorologists investigate claims for insurance companies on past weather or research past weather conditions pertaining to court cases in a court of law while consulting meteorologists are hired on by retailers, film crews, large corporations, and other non-weather companies to provide weather guidance on a variety of projects.

Still, other meteorologists are more specialized. Incident Meteorologists work with firefighters and emergency management personnel by providing onsite weather support during wildfires and other natural disasters while tropical meteorologists focus on tropical storms and hurricanes.

Finally, those with a passion for meteorology and education can help to create future generations of meteorologists by becoming a meteorology teacher or professor.

10 famous meteorologists

Current links are to external biographies. Please replace with links to geni profiles, when found.

1. John Dalton
2. William Morris Davis
3. Gabriel Fahrenheit
4. Alfred Wegener
5. Christoph Hendrik Diederik Buys Ballot
6. William Ferrel
7. Wladimir Peter Köppen
8. Anders Celsius
9. Dr. Steve Lyons
10. Jim Cantore

References

1. Oblack, Rachelle. "10 Famous Meteorologists." ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/famous-meteorologists-3444421.