Weather expert Alan Holt talks science with students

KIII meteorologist shares his stories working in the studio

Typically, at 3 a.m., people are asleep or college students are going to sleep. For Alan Holt, KIII meteorologist, he is already starting his day in the studio.

“I get to the studio around 3 a.m. to look at the models and start making animation models for the first edition at 5,” Holt said during a Sept. 23 visit to Del Mar College’s East Campus.

Holt talked about how weather data is captured through weather balloons, and what some of the data means such as wind, the jet stream and the rain.

“We look at all levels of the atmosphere to understand what is going on, not just one level. One weather model equals one hour for one event, so there is a lot to look to get the next few hours or for the seven-day forecast,” Holt said.

Looking at data tables and graphs requires quite a bit of math to understand what they mean. Those then must be converted into models for the viewers to see and get a better understanding of the weather.

“Most of my time is building models like an animation movie. This is my favorite part because I can put it into motion from a model,” Holt said.

The main job for a TV meteorologist is to make everything understandable for the viewers from the data they receive. Every day people rely on meteorologist to tell them what the conditions are for the city.

“I try to approach it so that the viewers can understand in a short time like saying stray, isolated or numerous showers instead of percentage. I try to guide you with the information I received,” Holt said.

 

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