4 Ways Broadcast Meteorologists Can Find More Time

The common complaint I hear from broadcast meteorologists is that they don’t have enough time to get everything done during their workday. Quantity seems to eclipse quality sometimes. Although the workload continues to increase, there are still only 24 hours in a day. Even broadcast meteorologists need to sleep and eat occasionally!

Now that I’m working behind the scenes and coaching several local TV weather teams, I see how other broadcast meteorologists work. After studying the work habits of several individuals, I’ve identified four ways below that could help my colleagues find more time in their workday.

Stop doing the full forecast

It seems blasphemous to suggest meteorologists spend less time analyzing weather data. However, we are at the point when computer models can produce a mostly accurate forecast for the next 7-10 days. One study suggests the more we fuss with the forecast, the less accurate it is.

So, instead of starting from scratch every day, compare the last forecast produced by the weather team with the latest model guidance from the National Blend of Models. The NBM incorporates data from 44 different models. That’s about 40 more than one meteorologist can analyze on their own. Instead of analyzing the data for every day in the forecast period, spend your time double-checking the data for the next 24-48 hours and on those days when the weather could be disruptive or severe.

Organize your workspace

Most broadcast meteorologists organize the workspace on the graphics computer one of two ways. Either they have separate rundowns for each hit or one megahit that includes every available graphic. Both take too much time to manage.

Organizing separate rundowns means the broadcast meteorologist often adds the same scenes to several different hits. Using an all-in-one hit means they spend a lot of time looking through hundreds of graphics and picking which ones to show right before going on-air.

There is a third and more efficient option: organize your workspace and weather hits based on specific weather conditions or events: severe weather, cold fronts, dense fog, winter weather, tropical weather, alert days, and more. Preselecting the content beforehand will save time later and, more importantly, ensure you always deliver the essential message.

Spend less time on social media

Changes to the management at Twitter and modifications to the algorithms on Facebook are making it harder for news outlets to connect with their followers. As a result, social media is no longer mandatory at many television stations.

During a recent weather conference, a broadcast meteorologist described their social media coverage during a tornado outbreak. Watching the presentation, I noticed that not one post on Facebook generated more than 200 likes or shares. One post pushing followers to the station’s website and mobile app for updates might have been a better strategy.

Look at your engagement numbers and evaluate whether you’re getting the ROI you deserve. The return on your investment of time should be significant, or it’s simply not worth it.

Use AI to write updates and blog posts

Have you heard about artificial intelligence? Of course, you have. It seems like every company is quickly integrating the technology into their software.

Rather than wait for weather vendors to develop the Weather Workstation of the Future, broadcast meteorologists can use AI software right now to generate first drafts of the written forecast for the website, blog articles, and social media posts. ChatGPT, Copy.ai, Grammarly, and other similar AI software can convert weather data into conversational language. The output usually requires minimal editing before publishing.

FREE DOWNLOAD: CHATGPT PROMPTS FOR BROADCAST METEOROLOGISTS

Spend your time wisely

There’s a finite amount of time and a seemingly infinite number of things broadcast meteorologists must do during the typical workday. The amount of work doubles when there’s a significant weather event.

Broadcast meteorologists would benefit from doing a workflow study. Write down everything you do every 15 minutes. Do this for a couple of days. Yes, I know. That’s more work! However, this is the only way to discover how you’re spending your time. This process will enable you to identify what needs to be modified or eliminated.

Rather than trying to shovel more …stuff… into a 24-hour day, it’s time to start reducing the workload and simplifying the workflow. You can’t do everything all of the time. Eventually, something has to give. Communicate more effectively by working more efficiently.

Tim Heller is an AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist, Talent Coach, and Weather Content Consultant. He helps broadcast meteorologists uplevel their performance and productivity by communicating more effectively and efficiently on-air, online, and on social media.