Meteorologist
By: Taylor Wesley
Education and training
To become a meteorologist, you need to have a Bachelors degree. That's going to college for 4 years.
Jobs & duties
- Measure temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, wind speed, dew point, and other properties of the atmosphere
- Use computer models that analyze data about the atmosphere (also called meteorological data)
- Prepare long- and short-term weather forecasts by using computers, mathematical models, satellites, radar, and local station data
- Issue warnings to protect life and property when threatened by severe weather, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and flash floods
- Produce forecasts for transportation activities, including aviation, boating and shipping, and road transportation
Tornado
This is a picture of the tornado in Oklahoma on May 20.
Weathe Radar
This is a weather radar in Arkansas on February 20, 2011. (Tornado warning)
Hurricane
This is a radar picture of hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Job outlook
Employment of atmospheric scientists is projected to grow 9 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations.Businesses increasingly rely on just-in-time delivery to avoid the expenses incurred by traditional inventory management methods. Severe weather can interrupt ground or air transportation and delay inventory delivery. Businesses have begun to maintain forecasting teams around the clock to advise delivery personnel, helping them stay on schedule.
Knowledge area
Bachelors degree. This is a typical level of education that most workers need to enter this occupation.
Skills
- Reading and comprehensions- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Science- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Active listening- Give full attention when others are speaking, take time to understand the points being made, ask questions appropriately,
- Speaking- Talking to other to convey information effectively.
Working conditions
Most atmospheric scientists work indoors in weather stations, offices, or laboratories. Occasionally, they do fieldwork, which means working outdoors to examine the weather. Some atmospheric scientists may have to work extended hours during weather emergencies.
Relate occupations
- Chemists and materials scientists
- Computer programmers
- Environmental engineers
- Environmental scientist and specialists
- Geo-scientists
- Hydrologists
- Mathematicians
- Physicists and Astronomers
- Postecondary teachers
Why I want this as my dream job?
I want to be a meteorologist because I find weather fascinating. Ever since 5th grade I watched "The weather Channel". Across the nation meteorologists predict the weather for every town. The thing I like most about weather is tornadoes. Each year, about a thousand tornadoes touch down in the United States, far more than any other country.