About us/Dr. Jim Siebert
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Education
Brigham Young University Baylor University The University of New Mexico
Q&A with Dr. Jim Siebert
About Jim:
Jim joined the WeatherNation team in April 2022. Jim is a two-time Emmy Award winning meteorologist who has been forecasting for more than 30 years. He has degrees from Brigham Young University, Baylor University and the University of New Mexico. His doctoral research focused on applying learning theories to television weather forecasting and how to better utilize graphics technology to increase viewer’s ability to understand and remember a forecast. Jim holds two US Patents using lightning strike data for natural resource exploration from oil and gas to mining. He was the chief meteorologist for Fox 26 in Houston, Texas for 15 years and before that he worked in New Mexico, Nevada and other stations in Texas. Jim and his wife Debbie are the parents of four grown children and they love to do outdoor activities like hiking, skiing and water rafting.
What is your most memorable weather experience?
I have forecasted and lived through hundreds of storms and it’s hard to just pick one experience. I would have to say Hurricane Harvey is the most memorable. It was a tropical storm when it hit the Houston area again, and again and again. I couldn’t remember what day of the week it was by the time the storm started moving away. I have never been in anything remotely like it.
What inspired you to become a meteorologist?
Growing up, I was always afraid of lightning and over the years my parents would take the opportunity to teach me about it. Later, when I was an Air Force ROTC cadet, I was introduced to how important meteorology is to flying and I found out how much I love talking about the weather.
Outside of weather, what are your hobbies and interests?
When I was younger I was a triathlete and I loved to race whenever I could. My knees finally decided I should stop running, but I still bike, hike and do a lot of outdoor activities. I am also a pyrotechnic geek. That’s a nice way to say I like to shoot fireworks. While in Texas, my shows have grown over the years and I use a professional firing system with sequencing and remote control. You can see some of my shows on my YouTube channel.
Besides your parents, who as influenced you the most in your life?
My wife Debbie is at the top of the list. She has been my inspiration, guide and best friend over the past 29 years. She has her doctoral degree in music and she has filled my life with beautiful sounds. We sing a lot together as a family and she has published some of our family hymns.
What is a little known fact about you?
I was born in a house as I was so eager to start living, my mother couldn’t get to the hospital in time.
What are your hopes and dreams for the profession of weather?
I look forward to witnessing new and advanced technologies that will help us forecast the weather. I have seen how computer technology greatly enhances our ability to measure data and use it to create a picture of what the weather will be. It will only get better in the future and that’s exciting to me.