Interested in weather, meteorology or storm chasing - but don't know where to start?
WE GOT YOU.

Girls Who Chase and the American Meteorological Society's Weather Band present:

Making Your Weather Passion a Reality: A Panel Discussion With The Experts

Have you found yourself staring at the skies, ready to jump into the meteorology or storm chasing space – but don’t quite know how to get started? Girls Who Chase and the American Meteorological Society's Weather Band chatted with four weather experts and veteran storm chasers to dive into all the details.

We spoke with Ginger Zee (ABC Chief Meteorologist & Managing Editor of the Climate Unit), Elizabeth Leitman (Storm Prediction Center Mesoscale/Outlook Forecaster), Melanie Metz (veteran storm chaser & star of Women's Entertainment Network “Twister Sisters” series) and Karen Kosiba (Managing Director of the Flexible Array of Radars & Mesonets (FARM) program) – about their career paths, how they got into storm chasing, and many other topics!

PANELISTS

*To read the full bio, click on a speaker's image

Ginger Zee

Chief Meteorologist & Managing Editor Climate Unit, ABC News

Zee has been there before, during and after almost every major natural disaster reporting for “Good Morning America” and across ABC News broadcasts and digital platforms. Zee has covered major hurricanes, from Hurricane Katrina to the eyewall of Hurricane Ian, has covered wildfires in California, France and Australia, covered many blizzards across the nation, and chased and covered multiple major tornado outbreaks from Alabama to Oklahoma.

Prior to joining ABC News, she was a meteorologist at NBC station WMAQ-Channel 5 in Chicago from 2006-2011, also filling in for several NBC and MSNBC News programs. Before that assignment, Zee worked at WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she was part of Storm Team 8, also covering the environment, science and the impact of weather throughout West Michigan. From 2003-2005, Zee worked at WEYI NBC 25 in Flint, Michigan. She began her career at WLAV FM/ WXMI in Grand Rapids, Michigan and WYIN PBS Merrillville, Indiana

Zee, who has storm chased since college, has a genuine passion for the atmosphere and a dedication to getting young people interested in science. She is the author of five books, including the bestseller “Natural Disaster” (2017) and her recent memoir, “A Little Closer to Home: How I Found the Calm After the Storm” (2022). The Emmy and Murrow Award-winning meteorologist was inducted into the Weather Hall of Fame. Zee attended Valparaiso University and holds a Bachelor of Science in meteorology. She also served as an adjunct professor at the University from 2008-2011. Zee also holds the CBM Seal for Meteorology. She resides in New York City.

Karen Kosiba

Managing Director of the Doppler on Wheels Program & Research Scientist

Dr. Karen Kosiba is the Managing Director of the F.A.R.M. (Flexible Array of Radars and Mesonets) Facility and Research Scientist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. She has a B.S. in Physics from Loyola University, an M.S. in Physics and an M.A.T in Teacher Education from Miami University, and a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from Purdue University.

Dr. Kosiba’s research focuses mainly on the kinematics and dynamics of severe convective storms, characterizing the low-level wind structure in tornadoes, and understanding the boundary layer winds and small-scale structures in landfalling hurricanes. Key to her research is executing field projects to collect data that can be analyzed to better understand and predict these hazardous weather events. Additionally, she is passionate about science education, regularly participating in outreach activities at schools, museums, and festivals, and online and through media interviews and consultations.

A strong believer in experiencing weather from the inside of a mobile weather radar, Dr. Kosiba has participated as a radar operator, project scientist, and project leader in a multitude of field projects, including those studying tornadoes, hurricanes, snow, convective initiation, fires, and nocturnal convection.

Melanie Metz

Veteran storm chaser, star of “Twister Sisters” TV series

Melanie has been storm chasing and documenting severe weather for over 20 years. She started her chasing career on Women's Entertainment Network as one of the "Twister Sisters," appearing in documentaries, a TV series and many public speaking events. Her work has been featured on National Geographic Television, The Weather Channel, ABC, CBS, FOX, Outside Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Weatherwise, and Restless Skies. She also had the honor of being the official photographer for the tornado used on the movie cover and poster for the 2021 movie "13 Minutes."

Liz Leitman

Mesoscale/Outlook forecaster, NWS Storm Prediction Center

Liz Leitman is a Mesoscale/Outlook forecaster at the NWS Storm Prediction Center (SPC), where she forecasts severe thunderstorm hazards (tornadoes, damaging gusts, and hail) for the nation. She has been a National Weather Service meteorologist for over 18 years and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. Previously, she worked as a meteorologist at local NWS offices in Billings, MT and Louisville, KY. Liz’s research interests include science communication, topics in tornado forecasting and applied meteorology, as well as fire weather. In her spare time, you’ll likely find Liz reading, hiking the Wichita Mountains, and photographing landscapes and skies.

Diversifying the "face" of weather & science

Interested in weather, meteorology or storm chasing - but don't know where to start?
WE GOT YOU.

Making Your Weather Passion a Reality: A Panel Discussion With The Experts

Want to hear from us with updates & info?

Interested in weather, meteorology or storm chasing - but don't know where to start? WE GOT YOU.

Making Your Weather Passion a Reality: A Panel Discussion With The Experts

Want to hear from us with updates & info?

Interested in weather, meteorology or storm chasing - but don't know where to start?
WE GOT YOU.