About us/Alana Cameron
Education
Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia - Bachelor of Science in Physics and Atmospheric Science
Post-Grad Certificate in Meteorology at York University
Post-Grad Certificate in Broadcast Journalism - TV News at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario
Q&A with Alana Cameron
About Alana:
Alana Cameron was born and raised in Canada in the city of Mississauga, just outside of Toronto. Alana is the oldest of 4 siblings, all close in age, and grew up playing outside with them in all types of weather. After graduating high school, Alana moved to study at the University of British Columbia in Kelowna for a year before transferring to Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia where she completed a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Atmospheric Science. Upon completion, Alana moved back to Toronto where she completed a post-grad degree in Meteorology at York University. After her post-grad, she went on to complete another post-grad in Broadcast Journalism - TV News at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. During her final year of studies she had the privilege of interning with the best in the business in Canada at The Weather Network. Once she finished her internship, she got the call from small-town Denison, Texas where she accepted a job as an on-air meteorologist at KTEN-TV right in tornado alley covering severe weather from Sherman/Denison (North Texas) to Ada (Southern Oklahoma). After the most active tornado season Oklahoma had seen in May 2019 (105 tornadoes!) Alana has been covering weather from coast to coast on WeatherNation since 2019. If you're interested in following her on social media she can be found @alanacameronwx!
What inspired you to become a meteorologist?
When I was three years old I would watch every channel’s weather forecasts each morning instead of watching morning cartoons and I would run upstairs and give my parents the forecast before they went to work. This lasted for years but when I was around 7, my parents asked me why I stopped watching all the other channels and only watched one, I replied “because it’s been the most accurate.” My interest in the forecasting and the science behind the weather never stopped from then on. I knew as a kid that that’s exactly what I wanted to do and here I am!
What is your most memorable weather experience?
Growing up in Canada meant experiencing four seasons and since I lived from coast to coast I experienced all sorts of memorable weather events. But, the most memorable were the events that impacted everyone and forced things to shut down for a few days. We had ice storms that took out power and as a kid I remember being able to take my hockey skates out on the road. We had snowstorms out East that caused province wide shut downs but it meant people were taking their cross-country skies out on the roads. So basically, any event that meant the road normally used for cars was now used for play!
Outside of weather, what are your hobbies and interests?
Most of my indoor hobbies are things that would make you say “you and my grandmother have so much in common!”. I love to sew, knit, embroidery, bake, and everything in between. My outdoor hobbies include skiing, ice skating, hockey/ringette (can you be Canadian without saying this?), hiking, and anything I can do outside!
Besides your parents, who has influenced you the most in your life?
Besides my parents and siblings, I would say that my 12th grade physics teacher had a great influence on me. Having a female role model who’s passion for teaching and encouraging more women to get into science helped solidify that I was on the right path. Even though I always knew I wanted to be a meteorologist, getting a degree in Physics was less intimidating and more exciting because I had a role model like her.
What is a little known fact about you?
Remember when I said I liked to sew, well, a little known fact about me is that I sew some of the dresses that I wear on air!
What are your hopes and dreams for the profession of weather?
I hope to instill passion in other young meteorologists for the future like the ones I grew up watching. If we can save lives by providing pertinent weather information in life-threatening situations, then that would be rewarding. Day-to-day weather forecasting is something that influences everyone, so to be able to provide a service that is constantly improving in forecast accuracy with information people can trust, would be all I could ask for!