Interview with Meteorologist Mark Nolan

Mark Nolan is a meteorologist with Channel 3 News in Cleveland, Ohio.  I interviewed him to discover what weather related issues students were really interested in learning about.

Q:  How did you become interested in Meteorology?              A: I have always been interested in weather since I was very young. Children are very observant to the weather around them.
 

Q:  How old were you when you decided you wanted to be a meteorologist? 

A:  In high school and in college, I was a radio and television production major and became interested in meteorology from there.
 

Q:  What areas of meteorology are students most interested in hearing about?
A:  It goes to more of the extremes:  the coldest day, the most snow we’ve ever had.
 

Q:  What types of weather tools do students you speak to typically have? 

A:  Computer software, they have weather stations set up at schools (anemometer and thermometer) and the sensors go to computers.  Families can get these at Radio Shack for between $100 – $200.
 

Q:  What is the most popular question they ask you about weather? 

A:  Just about extremes. It usually reflects the time of year.  In spring and summer:  Thunderstorms and tornadoes.  Some students are afraid of storms and I help them understand more about them.
 

Q:  What is the one thing that you believe will draw students to a map?                                                                                                A: Graphic quality, if purely on a visual basis:  colors, movement, animation is the key.  If it is just a pulsing sunshine that is the key. They are amazed by the 3-D fly through’s.

Q:  How well do the students you visit know their maps?               A:  I draw a map of the U.S.  I draw Lake Erie.  They can identify the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and are very familiar now with the Gulf of Mexico. 

 

Q:  If you were creating a game about meteorology, what would be one thing you would include? 
A:  I would try to make it so the weather is friendly and not something to be feared.  I am a little worried that we as a media have developed a group of people that are afraid of thunderstorms.  Nothing in weather is any different then 20 years ago.  I would make it friendlier.