As It Turns Out, I Love Weather

HRRR model forecast precipitation. It simulates a NEXRAD composite reflectivity — a stronger return than what’s usually shown on TV, base reflectivity.
250mb (Jet Stream) winds next 384 hours.

My next on-air appearance isn’t until Monday evening. I’m looking at weather maps anyway. It’s what I do.

Like so much else in life, becoming a meteorologist was a sort of random occurrence. Most meteorologists I know were fascinated by weather growing up. Not me. I was a city boy. The buses always ran. The subways always ran. In New York City you look down.

Growing up I wanted to be on radio and was for eleven years. TV didn’t attract me until I was around 30.

My first TV job was co-hosting PM Magazine/Buffalo. We began in late August, when Buffalo is its most charming. It really is a lovely city until about Thanksgiving.

Everything you think you know about Buffalo weather is correct.

PM Magazine was an ‘on location’ show. It was one of the first to take advantage of the change from film to tape.

1980 was before the ubiquity of four wheel drive. We drove Buffalo’s winter in a large Dodge van.

It didn’t take long to realize this wasn’t a good career choice. I remember doing ins-and-outs in front of Army helicopters at Niagara Falls International. It was so cold my lips couldn’t properly pronounce words!

A weekend weather job opened up at the station. Two days a week I could stay off the road. Of course I knew zero about meteorology.

I started to look into weather and was quickly hooked. I’m a math guy. I like maps and charts and graphs. Weather was full of those.

It didn’t take long for Helaine and me to drive to Toronto scouring for books on meteorology. I made friends with the guys at the Buffalo Weather Service Office. I took it all seriously.

Later I took 53 credits from Mississippi State University and received their certification. That qualifies me to join the American Meteorological Society and call myself a meteorologist.

The maps and charts really do talk to me. I look at my tools and feel the weather. It’s pretty cool.

Another lucky choice.

14 thoughts on “As It Turns Out, I Love Weather”

  1. So fortunate for us that your Buffalo career path went the way it did!! Amongst the
    results of which you have made weather
    an education and fun and interesting for
    countless people young and old these
    many years. It’s so good to have you
    back in our homes again-like a family
    member that moved far away and returned-only better!! Now miss you when it’s
    someone other than you doing the
    weather-hope that this becomes more
    than just a summer thing ’cause we
    need you all seasons of the year here!!!!

  2. Geoff,
    You’re beginnings in the weather business, it seems to me, were great prep for your amazing weather future!!
    We all have to begin somewhere….But knowing where you should begin is quite important.
    It’s really great to see you again doing what we all know is your thing and for weather geeks like me!!
    It’s always been a fascination as I grew up here in Woodmont right in the shore. Hurricanes and Blizzards were my “specialty interests!!”
    !

  3. You go Geoff, I like weather too! The only thing different is I like watching it on the TV and looking outside, not telling us at home or work about it. I live in a pretty cool state because we get quite a few of the different types!
    I love the “don’t go to sleep yet!” part of your night comments, keeps me awake for the last weather of the evening. Good day to you and yours!

  4. You fell in love with weather and we fell in love with “our weather-guy”! (and his family and his dogs – I still will never forget Ivy that most laconic Westie.) Lucky us! Soooo goood to see you “here” and so much fun to see all the wonderful comments people are making. And for those of you who haven’t posted or emailed WTNH with you glee, get to it! They heard from a lot of us about our displeasure in losing Geoff, now let’s wow them with our enthusiasm at their return to sanity!

  5. Geoff- As a former, Born and raised Buffalonian . I did not know that the weather was so bad until I left Buffalo when I was in my twenties. (1957) I guess that we just took it for granted that was the way winter was. I never remember school being closed for the snow. I agree with you that the summers in Buffalo are as nice as anywhere in the US.
    Happy to see you on Ch.8, Hope that you will be able to stay even though you are almost 3000 miles away.

  6. It is such a treat to have you back on Ch.8 even just for a little bit. I have been following your medical journey. You rock!! Stay strong and positive!

  7. So glad to see you back as our weather man. I wonder if you knew how loved you were here the New Haven area. I also followed your medical journey and was so happy to see you do so well. You had lots of prayers from a lot of people. Keep the faith Geoff. Looking forward for many years on channel 8.

  8. Great story Geoff !! Thanks for sharing life !! We never know do we… Where life will take us…I guess that’s the beauty of it !!

  9. As a kid I used to see the TV reports from Buffalo and knew the winters were nothing to mess with! Thank god Connecticut and Long Island (where I was raised) don’t have the winters of Buffalo! I love the long hot tropical summers, sunny mild falls, and all the green in CT, and we have just enough winter for about 90 days!

  10. Thank you for sharing your story on how you started to get interested in weather. It was interesting how everything just fell into place. It shows how much you love what you do. We here in Ct. are greatful for this opportunity of having you back at channel 8 for a while. Hopefully we will see more of you in the future. And Doppler too!!!

  11. Geoff
    What a pleasure having you back on WTNH it is great to see you again!!!!
    You look great after your Health Battle!

    You Go!

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