What got you interested in the weather?

[R-Dub]

For me it was a huge windstorm on Thanksgiving day 1982, in the same location I am in now, Stanwood WA.(1hr north of Seattle) Most areas north of Seattle got hammered. I was only 6 yrs old, and I can still remember that day like it was yesterday. There were gusts of nearly 80MPH, and my house was surrounded by bending several hundred foot Fur and Cedar trees!!! The roar of the wind though those trees was increadible. You could hear the thud of huge trees falling in the distance, then the power went off and stayed off for over 4 days! My parents cooked the Turkey on the BBQ and ate in candlelight. I just remember being in awe over the force of mother nature, sure we have had bigger windstorms then that, but that was the biggening of a passion for weather for me.

Was there a certain storm that that you into the weather???????

[southerngale]

No certain storm that I can recall. For as long as I can remember, I've been infatuated with weather, storms and hurricanes in particular. I used to think I'd one day be a meteorologist but I never pursued it. I took the only Meteorology course offered at my college though and loved it.

[SouthernWx]

I was already interested in weather and science by the 3rd grade, but surviving a tornado a year later (1974) which badly damaged my family's home was the event that really turned me into a storm/ weather enthusiast.

PW

[ColdFront77]

I pretty much got interested in U.S. Geography at the same time. I liked to watch the local weather reports in New England.

I enjoyed watching weather radars and surface maps on the local news and TWC in the mid '80s, at about the age of 8.

I used to, well still do, (using internet data) calculate weather systems arrival times to my and sometimes others locations.

[Skywatch_NC]

The Superoutbreak of 1974 and Blizzard of 1978 were some influences that really got my weather enthusiast hobby launched...but not until my junior high years! I received my first NOAA wx-alert radio then and not until March 1996 did I become a Skywarn spotter!

Eric

[ohiostorm]

I think its probably the Blizzard of 1993. I was 9 when that storm hit. I just started paying attention to all the severe weather from that time on. I used to sit in my room and make my own forecasts and weather maps. When I got a computer I started logging all our weather stats from day to day. One day I came upon a chat room I think on MSN or something. It was Hurricane Hollow. That was when i first became apart of the online weather community.

[JenyEliza]

I think its probably the Blizzard of 1993. I was 9 when that storm hit. I just started paying attention to all the severe weather from that time on. I used to sit in my room and make my own forecasts and weather maps. When I got a computer I started logging all our weather stats from day to day. One day I came upon a chat room I think on MSN or something. It was Hurricane Hollow. That was when i first became apart of the online weather community.

NINE for Superstorm '93? Wow. Make me feel old. I was 30 for that storm.

Jen

[Skywatch_NC]

I was already interested in weather and science by the 3rd grade, but surviving a tornado a year later (1974) which badly damaged my family's home was the event that really turned me into a storm/ weather enthusiast.

PW

Perry,

Was that tornado spawned during the Superoutbreak by chance? I was living in Cincinnati at the time (was 11 yrs-old) and two 'burbs there were slammed really hard by the outbreak!!

Eric

[cycloneye]

Tracking Hurricanes as a 6 year old boy and from that time until now my passion is tropical weather.

[R-Dub]

Even though I have never seen a hurricane, or lived in hurricane country, I still have always found them very facinating. In addition to all the local weather news coverage I have taped over the yrs, I would also tape hurricane coverage. I have several hrs of news coverage from hurricane Hugo. I still go back and watch that tape every now and then.

[cycloneye]

Even though I have never seen a hurricane, or lived in hurricane country, I still have always found them very facinating. In addition to all the local weather news coverage I have taped over the yrs, I would also tape hurricane coverage. I have several hrs of news coverage from hurricane Hugo. I still go back and watch that tape every now and then.

I haved seen some hurricanes and tropical storms make landfall here such as Federic (1979) Hugo (1989) Hortense (1996) Georges (1998) and Jeanne as a tropical storm (70 mph) last year.As you can see I have plenty of experience seeing landfalls and the most close I got from being at the eye was in Georges only 10 miles.

[Brent]

I honestly don't know... I was about 5 or 6 at the time.

[DoctorHurricane2003]

Well I was first interested in 1993 (first grade) when I saw Hurricane Chris and Dennis form and I asked my dad what they meant and he told me....then I later saw all the wind with Emily affect NC, but I still really didn't understand what it was.

In 1994, my dad taught me how to track a storm on a map with Alberto, I was excited, but I still didn't know what it meant.

But by 1995, I was interested! Allison formed REALLY early, and I recorded a few special programs. I began recording storm information from the weather channel as Tropical Storm Erin was moving off the W coast of FL, because I had a feeling it was going to affect me, which the next day Erin made a direct strike and I was in the eye of the storm. I also experienced Opal that year too, and was excited about the really active year. This was the first year I was the "class weatherman" and I gave reports on forecasts and storms from 3rd-5th grades.

[coriolis]

I just didn't want to get rained on when I was out on a bike ride.

[P.K.]

Not completely sure but I did the scout meteorology badge which involved keeping weather records a few years ago and I've been doing the same ever since. That was almost 6 years ago (that is quite scary). Since then I've been interested in meteorology and because of this I'm doing a met degree.

[Stormsfury]

I was already interested in weather and science by the 3rd grade, but surviving a tornado a year later (1974) which badly damaged my family's home was the event that really turned me into a storm/ weather enthusiast.

PW

Perry,

Was that tornado spawned during the Superoutbreak by chance? I was living in Cincinnati at the time (was 11 yrs-old) and two 'burbs there were slammed really hard by the outbreak!!

Eric

I believe it was the Superoutbreak, Eric ...

SF

[R-Dub]

WOW.....I like your avatar Stormsfury!!!!!!!!

[Skywatch_NC]

I was already interested in weather and science by the 3rd grade, but surviving a tornado a year later (1974) which badly damaged my family's home was the event that really turned me into a storm/ weather enthusiast.

PW

Perry,

Was that tornado spawned during the Superoutbreak by chance? I was living in Cincinnati at the time (was 11 yrs-old) and two 'burbs there were slammed really hard by the outbreak!!

Eric

I believe it was the Superoutbreak, Eric ...

SF

Thank you, Mike

[Ixolib]

Betsy was my first introduction to tropical weather at age 8 in 1965.

Camille was my first realization of what catastrophic damage means at age 12 in 1969.

Started working the charter boats at age 13, dodging offshore thunderstorms and waterspouts all summer long, and countless summers since.

My interest in the weather was definitely born by some significant examples in my younger years...

[Aslkahuna]

It would have been the big coastal storms in CA in October 1950 followed by barely avoiding being taken out by a CA tornado on January 11,1951 as I was walking to school.

Steve