As a high pressure system builds in the western US this weekend, it will begin to feel more and more like summer. And I couldn't be happier! Wednesday marked the end of a very long, difficult semester for me at Metro State. The past few weeks have been the busiest of my entire life. An endless stream of papers, projects, and tests kept me working constantly up until the very last minute. On top of all of that, I have been working as much as possible on my audition tape the past few weeks. I absolutely love working up on the chroma-key (green screen) so it doesn't usually feel like work. Lisa has helped me so much through this process and I can't thank her enough. I'm hoping that the work we've been doing will help set me apart from the rest and get me a job by the end of the summer! It's going to be a long and arduous process, but it's something that I want more than I've wanted anything in my life. I'm really looking forward to finishing up my tape and getting out into the real world!
But first, I have to finish up my degree this summer. I'll be taking two upper level math classes and will continue taking forecasting classes in the coming months. Senioritis is definitely kicking in, especially after the past few weeks. The beginning of August cannot come soon enough! I'll keep interning at KMGH-TV this summer as well. I want to learn as much as I can and gain as much experience as possible before I graduate.
Thankfully, I get a week and half break before summer classes start. No rest for the weary, however. I'm flying home to Chicago for a few days, then off to Maryland for my best friend's graduation and commissioning from the Naval Academy. I'm so proud of her and can't wait to spend some time with her! Then it's back to Chicago for a few days before returning to Denver for school. It's going to be busy, but a lot of fun!
Congratulations to Chris Yates and all of the graduates out there! Enjoy the nice weather!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Spring Weather
This spring semester of my internship at KMGH Channel 7 has given me invaluable experience forecasting some of the most unpredictable weather in the world. Speaking mainly of the Front Range cities in Colorado, of course, I've seen record snowfall amounts in the high country, Chinook winds that rattle the windows in Boulder, a 'light dusting' that brought four inches of heavy wet unexpected snow to the metro area, and I've seen boring days of zonal flow that lead to an uneventful afternoon at the station.
Forecasting the weather for 100 cities across Colorado on a biweekly basis has been a challenging, ongoing and highly educational process. Colorado cities are unique because as a group, they have over 5000 feet of altitude difference from the plains to the high country, this phenomenon is something that the forecast models tend to 'smooth over,' leaving the human forecaster with the task of combining interpretation of the models with knowledge of the topography of a given area to come up with a forecast that is reasonably accurate. As for my own skill, I have yet to promise snow on a perfectly sunny day, and I have yet to promise warmth on a day that brings shivers. That being said, I've had my share of being wrong.
One afternoon in February I was unable to correctly forecast the abrupt snow that blanketed the unprepared Denver Metro area simply because I failed to look out the window. Had I looked to the western sky, I would have recognized the cloud banding indicative of a heavier snow than any of the models were predicting. From that day forward, I take a walk outside the windowless studio and look to the sky before entering my forecast for the day.
The internship at KMGH has shown me what it is like to work in the field of broadcast meteorology. Weather is news, especially in Colorado where unsettled weather is a daily occurrence. The job of the broadcast meteorologist is to give the most accurate and understandable weather depiction available on an hourly basis, while issuing appropriate weather ticker warnings in congruence with the National Weather Service.
Another resource for weather news is thedenverchannel.com, which is updated by interns and meteorologists multiple times in a day with up-to-the-minute weather information as it becomes available to us here at the station. The Internet is important because people who are unable to catch the nightly newscast still need accurate weather information from a source they trust. in this case, KMGH is (and always should be) that source. On thedenverchannel.com, weather maps, planning forecasts, and point forecasts are available for locations all over Colorado.
My experience at KMGH has been incredibly high-impact. The forecast that I prepare is the one that goes up on-screen for the entire audience of KMGH to see. I produce, render, and compile the seven-day forecast for Denver with a guiding hand from Mike Nelson and Tony Laubach, I combine the forecast with weather graphics that go onto the green-screen for Mike Nelson's afternoon broadcast. I maintain up-to-date- weather information on the Internet at thedenverchannel.com. This experience will add to my resume when I apply for a career in broadcast meteorology.
Overall, I'm sad that this semester, and my internship are comming to an end. I hope to continue my pursuit of a career in broadcast meteorology as my college experience progresses.
Forecasting the weather for 100 cities across Colorado on a biweekly basis has been a challenging, ongoing and highly educational process. Colorado cities are unique because as a group, they have over 5000 feet of altitude difference from the plains to the high country, this phenomenon is something that the forecast models tend to 'smooth over,' leaving the human forecaster with the task of combining interpretation of the models with knowledge of the topography of a given area to come up with a forecast that is reasonably accurate. As for my own skill, I have yet to promise snow on a perfectly sunny day, and I have yet to promise warmth on a day that brings shivers. That being said, I've had my share of being wrong.
One afternoon in February I was unable to correctly forecast the abrupt snow that blanketed the unprepared Denver Metro area simply because I failed to look out the window. Had I looked to the western sky, I would have recognized the cloud banding indicative of a heavier snow than any of the models were predicting. From that day forward, I take a walk outside the windowless studio and look to the sky before entering my forecast for the day.
The internship at KMGH has shown me what it is like to work in the field of broadcast meteorology. Weather is news, especially in Colorado where unsettled weather is a daily occurrence. The job of the broadcast meteorologist is to give the most accurate and understandable weather depiction available on an hourly basis, while issuing appropriate weather ticker warnings in congruence with the National Weather Service.
Another resource for weather news is thedenverchannel.com, which is updated by interns and meteorologists multiple times in a day with up-to-the-minute weather information as it becomes available to us here at the station. The Internet is important because people who are unable to catch the nightly newscast still need accurate weather information from a source they trust. in this case, KMGH is (and always should be) that source. On thedenverchannel.com, weather maps, planning forecasts, and point forecasts are available for locations all over Colorado.
My experience at KMGH has been incredibly high-impact. The forecast that I prepare is the one that goes up on-screen for the entire audience of KMGH to see. I produce, render, and compile the seven-day forecast for Denver with a guiding hand from Mike Nelson and Tony Laubach, I combine the forecast with weather graphics that go onto the green-screen for Mike Nelson's afternoon broadcast. I maintain up-to-date- weather information on the Internet at thedenverchannel.com. This experience will add to my resume when I apply for a career in broadcast meteorology.
Overall, I'm sad that this semester, and my internship are comming to an end. I hope to continue my pursuit of a career in broadcast meteorology as my college experience progresses.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Clock's Ticking!!!!!!
Hey all, Chris here with another blog. It has been a crazy, wonderful, and even a stressful month...in a good way. I am graduating in less than 1 month, wow less than a month. For the past 3 months I have been sending out several resumes to several different stations across the country, I have my fingers crossed that I will land a job somewhere in this difficult profession. I am also in the middle of planning my wedding with my beautiful fiance Krista. All this makes it an exciting time in my life.
As my journey here at 7 news slowly comes to an end, I know that I have been very lucky to work with such a fine group of meteorologist. The 24/7 Weather crew have provided me with a great education and understanding of being a broadcast meteorologist. So thank you Mike, Richard, Scott, and Lisa!!! Because of their help I am confident that I will succeed somewhere down the road as a broadcast meteorologist.
Okay, enough of this emotional blah....Lets talk about weather!!!!!!
You can't deny that the warm temperatures we saw the past couple days have been welcomed by many...except for me. I am all about snow, but I have severe weather to look forward to this spring!!! After what was a summer like day today, will turn to a winter like day tomorrow as cold, rain, and snow return to the metro area. Don't expect to much though as it appears accumulations will be light. But, warm spring like weather will return for a beautiful weekend!!!!
Thanks for reading, i'll be back soon.
As my journey here at 7 news slowly comes to an end, I know that I have been very lucky to work with such a fine group of meteorologist. The 24/7 Weather crew have provided me with a great education and understanding of being a broadcast meteorologist. So thank you Mike, Richard, Scott, and Lisa!!! Because of their help I am confident that I will succeed somewhere down the road as a broadcast meteorologist.
Okay, enough of this emotional blah....Lets talk about weather!!!!!!
You can't deny that the warm temperatures we saw the past couple days have been welcomed by many...except for me. I am all about snow, but I have severe weather to look forward to this spring!!! After what was a summer like day today, will turn to a winter like day tomorrow as cold, rain, and snow return to the metro area. Don't expect to much though as it appears accumulations will be light. But, warm spring like weather will return for a beautiful weekend!!!!
Thanks for reading, i'll be back soon.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
A Wild Start for Spring!!
Weather has made it a wild start to the Spring season. Although it has been a mild start to spring for us, it has been a much different story for those in the Midwest. A massive storm that could have brought heavy snow to the Denver area missed us by a couple hundred miles. When it move further eastward it began to stall out and mix with moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. This allowed for some areas in the mid west to pick up over 3 inches of rain!!! The heavy rain caused flooding which is still plaguing the area today. To make matters worse, areas to the north are picking up record snowfall which will begin to melt over the next couple days only to create more flooding in the flood stricken areas.
As spring has begun, so has "senioritis", well at least for me. I am graduating in May and I am very excited. Recently I have been sending out several resumes across the country only hoping to land a job as a Meteorologist for a T.V. Station. I am very confident that I will succeed, not because I am cocky, but because I feel that the weather team here at channel 7 have prepared me to become a successful meteorologist. So, wish me luck on my carreer and hopefully you will see me on the tube!!!
As spring has begun, so has "senioritis", well at least for me. I am graduating in May and I am very excited. Recently I have been sending out several resumes across the country only hoping to land a job as a Meteorologist for a T.V. Station. I am very confident that I will succeed, not because I am cocky, but because I feel that the weather team here at channel 7 have prepared me to become a successful meteorologist. So, wish me luck on my carreer and hopefully you will see me on the tube!!!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
It Has Been Quite a Long Time!
Hello everyone!
It has been a long time since my last blog. This year has been brought nothing but chaos. I started out the year heading to New Orleans for the 88th Annual American Meteorological Society Convention. As soon as I got home, it was nothing but go, go, go. I have been on the move ever since. Our chapter of AMS at UNC is really growing and we are accomplishing a lot in our community. Ten days after getting back from New Orleans, I was able to celebrate my 21st birthday! I was still feeling the effects a few days after!
The next big event, the National Storm Chasers Convention. I attended the convention on the weekend it was held and I was able to me all sorts of people. I was able to sit and talk to several members of the Storm Chasers crew from the Discovery Channel. After a long, but fun weekend I settled in for another fast paced week. That came to a halt when I became sick, and was unable to attend school or come to the station for 2 weeks! Well this pretty much brings me to present!
Now that I am only able to come to the station for 1 day a week, I have only been here 4 or 5 times since I came back at the end of January. It has been a blast! I have gotten back in front of the green screen, and for not being able to practice for 3 months, I felt I did pretty darn well! A few more sessions in front of the chroma key and I am back to where I left off. Most of my nerves have been kicked to the curb, and I absolutely love getting in front of the chroma key and giving a forecast!
I am still cruising in the fast lane, but I have to take it easy as to not get sick again. You will here from me again. I hope all of you are well!
It has been a long time since my last blog. This year has been brought nothing but chaos. I started out the year heading to New Orleans for the 88th Annual American Meteorological Society Convention. As soon as I got home, it was nothing but go, go, go. I have been on the move ever since. Our chapter of AMS at UNC is really growing and we are accomplishing a lot in our community. Ten days after getting back from New Orleans, I was able to celebrate my 21st birthday! I was still feeling the effects a few days after!
The next big event, the National Storm Chasers Convention. I attended the convention on the weekend it was held and I was able to me all sorts of people. I was able to sit and talk to several members of the Storm Chasers crew from the Discovery Channel. After a long, but fun weekend I settled in for another fast paced week. That came to a halt when I became sick, and was unable to attend school or come to the station for 2 weeks! Well this pretty much brings me to present!
Now that I am only able to come to the station for 1 day a week, I have only been here 4 or 5 times since I came back at the end of January. It has been a blast! I have gotten back in front of the green screen, and for not being able to practice for 3 months, I felt I did pretty darn well! A few more sessions in front of the chroma key and I am back to where I left off. Most of my nerves have been kicked to the curb, and I absolutely love getting in front of the chroma key and giving a forecast!
I am still cruising in the fast lane, but I have to take it easy as to not get sick again. You will here from me again. I hope all of you are well!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Hoppy Leap Day!
Greetings from the morning show! What a crazy semester it is turning out to be. Classes are really starting to pick up with tests, homework, and projects. Just have to focus on the fact that I graduate in 6 months! August here I come!!!
Things are picking up here at the station as well. Working with Lisa has been an absolute blast! She's so sweet and makes going to work at 3:45am lots of fun! I even get to try my hand at the wheel when she goes out on location. I get to sit in the 24/7 Weather Center and flip through the show for her. It's exciting to have a little extra responsibility!
I've also been coming in to get some more practice in on the Chroma Key (green screen). We've started taping some of my efforts so I can learn from them. I feel like I've really improved and become a lot more comfortable up there. Lisa has given me pointers on technique and style. Hopefully after more practice, I can get all of the nerves out and put together a great audition tape. There are so many other talented interns here, I just hope I can keep up with them!
I hope you're enjoying the beautiful weather that we've been having! I don't have class on Fridays so I'm definitely going to go outside and enjoy it! We will be flirting with record high temperatures tomorrow as well before we cool off quite a bit on Sunday. Enjoy it while it lasts! Enjoy your leap day as well! It won't be February 29th for another four years!
Things are picking up here at the station as well. Working with Lisa has been an absolute blast! She's so sweet and makes going to work at 3:45am lots of fun! I even get to try my hand at the wheel when she goes out on location. I get to sit in the 24/7 Weather Center and flip through the show for her. It's exciting to have a little extra responsibility!
I've also been coming in to get some more practice in on the Chroma Key (green screen). We've started taping some of my efforts so I can learn from them. I feel like I've really improved and become a lot more comfortable up there. Lisa has given me pointers on technique and style. Hopefully after more practice, I can get all of the nerves out and put together a great audition tape. There are so many other talented interns here, I just hope I can keep up with them!
I hope you're enjoying the beautiful weather that we've been having! I don't have class on Fridays so I'm definitely going to go outside and enjoy it! We will be flirting with record high temperatures tomorrow as well before we cool off quite a bit on Sunday. Enjoy it while it lasts! Enjoy your leap day as well! It won't be February 29th for another four years!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
What a Month!!!
Hey everyone, Chris here with another blog. It has been yet another great, yet crazy past couple weeks. School has started, the internship here at 7 News has been great, and the weather has been "fun" as well.
At the end of January I attended the annual American Meteorological Society National Confrence which was held in New Orleans. N0t only did I have a blast visiting New Orleans but I also learned a lot about job opertunities and recent developments in the field of meteorology. Did you know that corporate buisnesses higher meteorologist just so they can recieve accurate forecast so that their product can be delivered on time? Neither did I, until now. After learning so much more about other opertunities in the field of meteorology their is still only one career I have a passion for and that is Broadcast Meteorology.
The past couple weeks I have been working very hard with Mike on my on camera skills. I must say they are coming along nicely :) I have my tape being edited and I hope that my tape is good enough for somebody to say they want me as their broadcast meteorologist. I am currently looking at smaller markets around the area to hopefully begin my career once I graduate from UNC in May.
Oh, and by the way... As of last night I am now engaged to my beautiful girlfriend, now fiance, Krista!!! Wish us the best. I'll talk to you all later...
At the end of January I attended the annual American Meteorological Society National Confrence which was held in New Orleans. N0t only did I have a blast visiting New Orleans but I also learned a lot about job opertunities and recent developments in the field of meteorology. Did you know that corporate buisnesses higher meteorologist just so they can recieve accurate forecast so that their product can be delivered on time? Neither did I, until now. After learning so much more about other opertunities in the field of meteorology their is still only one career I have a passion for and that is Broadcast Meteorology.
The past couple weeks I have been working very hard with Mike on my on camera skills. I must say they are coming along nicely :) I have my tape being edited and I hope that my tape is good enough for somebody to say they want me as their broadcast meteorologist. I am currently looking at smaller markets around the area to hopefully begin my career once I graduate from UNC in May.
Oh, and by the way... As of last night I am now engaged to my beautiful girlfriend, now fiance, Krista!!! Wish us the best. I'll talk to you all later...
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