Mostly Sunny – Channeling the Weather

UGA alumni meteorologists Alex Wallace and Molly McCollum are fixtures on The Climate Channel

In a way, The weather channel is an area Atlanta station. Its Cobb County headquarters overlook the I-285/I-75 interchange. However its attain is international. That is nice for viewers who must know the every day forecast from wherever they’re.

The job of explaining the sensible implications of climate, in addition to its subtleties, falls to the community’s on-camera meteorologists, who embody UGA alumnus Alex Wallace. ABJ’04 and Molly McCollum bachelor ’15.

“Lots of people who watch The Climate Channel need to know what the climate is like, in fact, however they’re additionally all in favour of why,” says McCollum. “And since we’ve limitless time to speak about it, we get to dive into the nitty-gritty of the science, which is a number of enjoyable for us.”

McCollum began out as a musical theater scholar on the College of Alabama, however after experiencing the devastating Tuscaloosa twister in 2011, he turned to meteorology.

“A lot of these expertise that I realized whereas finding out theater are instantly transferable to being on digital camera,” he says.

McCollum transferred to UGA, the place he majored in geography and was a member of the ultimate atmospheric science certificates class earlier than turning into a significant. After graduating, she labored in Wichita, Kansas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, earlier than touchdown at WGCL (now WANF) in Atlanta in 2018. She moved to The Climate Channel in 2021.

Wallace, who majored in broadcast journalism at UGA, took a extra direct path to The Climate Channel. He interned on the community whereas pursuing his graduate diploma in meteorology at Mississippi (David Chandley and Chris Holcomb he additionally earned his grasp’s levels there). He was employed in 2006 instantly after incomes that title. Wallace labored his means up; he began by delivering native forecasts on-line. Continuous three-hour shifts made her throat sore.

Quickly, he graduated to broadcasting. She went from studio work to software program internet hosting to distant controls. For on-camera meteorologists, it is the remotes, starting from tropical storms to blizzards, landslides and exquisite fall days, that present the adrenaline rush.

“You need to be within the motion however not within the motion, if that makes any sense,” says Wallace. “Security at all times comes first when you find yourself outdoors. Nevertheless it’s thrilling.”

It was particular to have a UGA graduate as a mentor. She has continued to be an unbelievable assist to my profession, and her assist is a big purpose why I’m so keen about paying for and serving to college students within the UGA program now.” — Molly McCollum on internting with Joanne Feldman at FOX5 as a UGA scholar

What can also be thrilling for Wallace and McCollum is the expertise obtainable to them. As meteorologists working for a devoted climate community, no expense is spared in the case of new expertise.

“The Climate Channel is nice for pushing inventive boundaries,” says McCollum. “We’ve got an immersive actuality set the place we are able to take you to totally different cities and present you what it is going to be like because the storms method. It is particularly highly effective in hurricane communication, the place they’ve achieved this nice video on what storm surge seems to be like. ”

Wallace and McCollum do not work collectively fairly often, however after they do, they be sure to say UGA on the air—with three-hour shifts, there’s loads of room for banter. Each preserve sturdy ties to the campus as properly. McCollum advises present atmospheric science college students, and Wallace served on Grady’s alumni board for a number of years. In 2012, Wallace acquired the John E. Drewry Award for Younger Alumni Achievement from Grady Faculty.

“It’s important to like it,” Wallace says of the recommendation he provides to college students desirous about moving into the climate enterprise. “I believe we have all seen somebody on TV and you’ll inform they do not actually imagine what they’re saying. Do what you need and it’ll present. Ultimately it is going to be price it.”

Mostly Sunny: The Atlanta Weather Report | Weather Program at UGA