There’s a very interesting, and extremely well-reported, feature in the New York Times Magazine on Gary England, longtime KWTV Oklahoma City chief meteorologist, and what it’s like to forecast the weather in tornado-wracked OKC.
The Times Mag calls England “The Weather God of Oklahoma City.”
England, 73, has been with the station for 41 years. Reporter Sam Anderson notes England’s weariness after studying weather, and more than a few catastrophic storms, during his long career:
At the end of the night, after the threats had passed, after he had narrated the deadly progress of another round of tornadoes, Gary England staggered out of his command module of screens. He looked depleted. I asked him how he could possibly unwind after so much drama. He told me he was going to do what he always did: go home, drink a glass of wine and eat a big plate of nachos. But he spoke without enthusiasm. “I’ve been eating too many nachos lately,” he said.
Commented one Times Mag reader, “Andreia” of Freedomville:
Gary England was the voice of safety in my childhood. While other weathercasters have a habit of getting overexcited, Gary has been always been rational, calm and firm in his warnings. God bless Gary England.
