Tom Coomes, Chief Meteorologist

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I grew up in Michiana; Little League in North Liberty, hockey in the IYHL and high school football at South Bend Washington. I remember summers on Lake Manitou in Rochester at one set of grandparent's house and winters sledding in South Bend at the other.

After graduating from Purdue and moving to Colorado to start my career in Grand Junction, I wasn't sure if I'd be back. 300 day of sunshine, mountains and skiing, who would leave? For most, it sounds like paradise, unless you're a meteorologist, then it can get a little boring.

When I got the call from my now boss “We're launching a new news station in South Bend” I thought he was pulling my leg. It's all I could ask for in a new chapter in my career. I enjoy taking on a challenge, and building something from the ground up was just the thing. Not only that, but in what I'd consider one of top weather markets in the county. Not many places can it snow 100 inches and get down to 20° below zero in winter, to severe weather and 90s in summer and everything between. Oh, and I was home.

I got the love of science from my grandfather, who was a PhD physics professor at the University of Notre Dame, he helped me with my first science project in first grade that was on light and the color spectrum. Starting at Purdue, I thought I wanted to be a chemist, but being stuck in a lab all day didn't' seem right to me. I picked meteorology because it combined what I thought to be my two best talents, talking and science.

When I'm not doing all things weather I like to travel, enjoy the outdoors, garden, grill and of course enjoy some craft beer. You're likely to find me on my bicycle on sunny day, at the South Bend Farmers Market in the summer and at one of our local breweries on a Friday night.

I have a passion not just for weather, but for informing the public. I feel I live the First Warning brand because I think telling you “in the moment” of the storm is already too late. I'm a planner and I take it as a mark of pride when I can help others plan for the next hour, day or week. I look forward to taking Michiana weather into the modern age and love using social media, especially Twitter.

You can send me an email, follow me on Twitter and like me on Facebook.


Articles by Tom Coomes

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