Rollercoaster continues...

I thought I'd talk a little about a typical day at work for me.  It's usually a hot topic for discussion when I meet folks around the community.  The first of my two alarms blasts off at 2:45 a.m. and the second one follows about half an hour later just to make sure I'm awake.  After saying good-bye to my dog, I head out and am usually in the Forecast Center by 4:00 a.m.

I print out my forecast data information from a couple of different sources.  If the forecast calls for rain, I'll check on how much rain is expected and if any of the rain storms will be severe.  After looking over a couple of the computer models, I'll fill out my forecast sheet.  From there, I input my forecast numbers into a computer program that generates my forecast graphics for me.  While my computer is building those graphics, I will make my futurecast graphic.  When I say make my graphic, I mean I physically draw the cold and warm fronts and the high and low pressures on the map myself where they are at that moment and where they'll be in in 48 hours.  I then tell the computer to animate the moving parts into the graphic you see me use on the air.

Not only is forecasting apart of my job, but I also record radio weather forecasts that can be heard throughout the day on COW 97 Country, Real Country KNEI 103.5, and KHPP 1160 AM.  I also record a forecast for our 24 hour weather line (507-895-1900) and I put together our Hollywood Minute segment for the morning show with the latest news and gossip from Hollywood.

After all that, I put a microphone on and put my earpiece in to get ready for showtime.  The earpiece (called an IFB ... interruptible fold back) helps those of us on air hear the newscast as you do at home plus it allows our director and/or producer to talk to us in our ear during the show.  They provide me time cues so I now how much time I have left in my weather show.  I have only 3 minutes to tell you the weather and I have to stick by that time limit.

After Daybreak is over, I do weather cut-ins for Good Morning America alongside Sam Champion.  I also record a forecast that is uploaded to our website.  After our news and weather cut-ins for GMA are over, I chat live with the Morning Moo Crew on COW 97 Country every morning between 9 and 9:30 a.m.  The rest of my day is spent replying to emails and updating the forecasts for our radio partners and 24 hour weather line.  My day usually ends around 10:30 or 11:00 in the morning.

So that's a typical day for me unless severe weather threatens and then I'm in the Forecast Center longer.

                                                                                           

Thanks for checking in!

Zach Brown, Daybreak Meteorologist