Weather – especially crippling snowstorms – has held a powerful fascination for me as long as I can remember. Growing up in central New Jersey I am old enough to recall, as if it were yesterday, the great blizzards of the 1960’s. My trusty transistor radio would play softly under the pillow late at night; I knew all the times and stations to get live forecasts from the likes of such radio icons as Dr. Bob Harris, Gordon Barnes, and Stuart Soroka. I even recorded detailed weather observations three times a day for the entire winter of 1965-66. After graduating from high school in 1971, it was no surprise that I went on to earn my B.S. and M.S. in meteorology.
I never lost my passion for the weather as I grew into adulthood, and am fortunate today in that I can usually arrange my work schedule to be at home whenever a snowstorm is on the horizon. Although I do use forecasting in my consulting business, it is largely an avocation these days, and family and friends still count on me for the “heads up” when severe weather is on the way. Each autumn I make my winter forecast, which invariably features lots of snow. This worked out well for most of the winters in the early 2000’s, but not so many of late. Well, I guess I'm proof positive of what they say – hope really does spring eternal!
A primary interest of mine is music, having played alto saxophone professionally to help pay for the first few years of college. Today though, the "stage" is generally limited to my living room or back yard, where I sing and play acoustic guitar, often harmonizing with my sweetheart. Other interests include active participation in Eckankar (the Religion of the Light and Sound) and cheering on my New York Rangers hockey team.