Atmosphere As Spectacle/Channeling the Weather; Weather; Scientific American Presents; by Cerveny; 6 Page(s)

The easiest job in America is probably being a television weather forecaster in San Diego. If you can say the words "sunny" and "70" without ejecting your dentures, go ahead and fill out a job application. Or so you'd think. Actually, performing on television is a lot more difficult than it looks. I know. That guy in the picture is me. Fortunately for the good people of Pennsylvania, my single appearance as a TV weather guy projected no farther than the studio control booth at Pennsylvania State University.

Only about half of America's TV weather folk are certified meteorologists, a statistic that annoyed meteorologist Fred Gadomski enough for him to offer senior meteorology majors at Penn State a class on how to be on TV. "In a perfect world, everyone who told you about the weather on television should be a meteorologist," Gadomski says. "They know the most about it, and there are a few times each year when the weather gets really serious, and it can mean something to your life or your property. You don't want some Joe Schmoe handling it."