Laura Kennedy, 31, who is get-
ting her Ph.D. at Texas A&M.
Most meteorologists earn
a relatively modest income.
"You won't become the richest
in the world, but it's not
bad," says Biedinger of the
National Weather Service. Be-
ginning government salaries
range from $15,500 to $18,300,
not including overtime, and
within three or four years in-
crease to about $28,000. Em-
ployees at private companies
may well earn more. "If you're
a good consultant, you can
make a bundle," says Jim Bel-
ville, a meteorologist with
the National Weather Service.
Top administrators and con-
sultants earn up to $100,000
and, of course, a handful of TV
weathercasters in major mar-
kets wiltgo far higher.
Weenies wanted: For all the
new technological skills re-
RLD PHOTOS quired, experts say the best
meteorologist is someone who
has been excited about weath-
er since childhood-so-called weather
nuts or weather weenies. "The nastier the
weather is, the happier they are," ex-
plains Penn State weather-station co-
ordinator Jonathan Merritt. "Nothing
depresses a meteorologist more than .a
sub-par winter." The job does take dedica-
tion. "The severe weather and the flood-
ing take place at any time. That means we
operate 24 hours a day," says director
Hallgren of the National Weather Serv-
ice. Despite the hours, though, meteorolo-
gists say the job-which many see as a
hobby as well-is never boring. The sci-
ence of meteorology is in its infancy. And
the weather is always changing.
KAREN SPRINGEN
KATHY WILLENS-WIDE W
storm, satellite photo (top, left), Doppler screet
James R. Scoggins, head of the meteorology
department at Texas A&M. As the Nation-
al Weather Service adopts an enormous
range of new technology, meteorologists
must be trained in the workings of geosta-
tionary satellites and Doppler radar as well
as in the nature of clouds. They must also be
prepared to travel. Meteorologist Charlie
Kennedy, for example, has forecast in Tur-
key, Korea and Saudi Arabia. Artistic abili-
ty is a plus. "One of the largest growth
areas we've had is in graphics," says Elliot
Abrams, senior vice president of Accu-
Weather, a private weather service with
more than 1,000 clients nationwide.
Getting an entry-level job in meteorolo-
gy, a field that the Department of Labor
does not expect to grow significantly in the
next few years, can be difficult for mediocre
students. Internships, offered by the Na-
tional Weather Service and some private
companies, often help after graduation.
(For career and internship information,
contact: National Weather Service, Office
of Personnel Management, Job Informa-
tion Center, 1900 E Street, N.W., Washing-
ton, D.C. 20415; American Meteorological
Society, 45 Beacon Street, Boston, Mass.
02108, or local Air Force recruiters.)
In this career, not uncommonly, starting
jobs are often routine-gathering data,
making forecasts for a local area and set-
ting up equipment. But even entry-level
forecasting can be rewarding. "You make a
forecast, and you know pretty fast whether
you did a good job," says Air Force Capt.
Front line: Kennedy on the lookout
SCOTT JOHNSON -PENN STA'
Infant science: Readings at Penn State
PAUL S. HOWELL
NOVEMBER 1987