People su 16
by Margo Ragan
Do you check the weather as part of your morning ritual? It's an important component of how we plan our day, our clothes, even the route we take to work or school. We complain when the weather is too cold, we grouse when the weather is too hot, but for Doylestown native Michelle Grossman, the weather is always just right. Michelle is an NBC 10 EarthWatch meteorologist, and she is living the dream she set for herself when she was only five years old.
“I was always fascinated by weather,” she admits. “My parents said I would practice delivering the weather news while Jim O'Brien, an ABC channel 6 television icon, was giving his weather report. I watched how he delivered the news, how he interacted with the television audience. I just knew that this was the career for me, even though I was very young in age.”
Michelle remembers exactly where she was when the news was broadcast of O'Brien's untimely death as a result of a parachute jump gone tragically wrong. “I was in a Roy Rogers restaurant with my friend and her mother began crying, as did I. Despite the fact that I had never met him, I thought of Jim O'Brien as a friend who made a tremendous impression on me.”
Michelle lives in Bucks County with her husband Jamie Simmons and two children Ella, age 7 and Jeremy, age 3. As a meteorologist for the network, Michelle works weekends, Saturday morning from 5 to 10 and Sunday morning from 5:30 to 10:30. The thought of moving closer to the NBC studios in Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County has never entered the equation. “I am a Bucks Countian all the way,” she says.
Her parents Wayne and Jean Grossman were restauranteurs. They used to own Charlotte's Diner on Route 313 in Doylestown, where Cross Keys Diner later was established. This was a “go-to” place for local businesses, politicians, civic organizations and families to gather.
“I learned great lessons about life from my parents and the work ethic they practiced,” Michelle says. “My dad would get up each morning at 1:30 to begin prepping for the day, and my mom would soon follow, as she was in charge of the front of the house. My twin Megan, and other siblings Stacey, Corinne, Greg, and I all worked at the restaurant. Patrons were used to seeing these 4th and 5th graders bussing tables, washing dishes, helping out in every way.”
More importantly, her experience in the family business gave Michelle a sense of what it means to be part of a caring community. That lesson became apparent to her on the day when her dad collapsed in the restaurant. Concerned customers immediately began calling the house, inquiring about his condition. “It was then I realized that for many people, the restaurant was like a second home. They had their breakfasts and dinners with us so it was natural that they thought of us as part of their family. They had made the same kind of connection that I had felt with Jim O'Brien, an intimacy which comes from caring about the people around you.”
That sense of community resonates throughout Michelle's remembrances of her early school years in the Central Bucks school system. She recalled the kindness of her second grade teacher at a very important time in her life. “When I was in the second grade, my mom became very ill and wasn't able to bake cupcakes for my birthday, which was a family custom. I shared my upset to my teacher, Karen Wallace, that my mom was ill, and I would not be having my traditional cupcakes. On my special day, Karen surprised me by bringing cupcakes to school.
Her thoughtfulness made a second grader and her mother very happy, filled with gratitude that she cared so much for the feelings of a little child. I am pleased to say that I still maintain a relationship with Karen via social media.”
After graduating from Central Bucks East and Penn State University, Michelle's natural ebullience and ease with people made her a success in sales, but it still wasn't what she wanted to do with her life. “My husband encouraged me to take the plunge, follow my dream, do the hard work of breaking into a competitive business,” she says. “It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.”
Michelle decided to take an unpaid internship for six months at the NBC station located in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. The daily commute of 156 miles round trip could have been daunting for a less committed individual, but Michelle says she kept her focus on her goal, which was to learn as much about the business as she could.
Her experience led to an on-air position for NBC Weather Plus, a 24-hour weather channel. It was during this time that she experienced first hand the impact that weather can have upon a community, and the important role a meteorologist does play during this crisis.
“I was doing children's programming when the program was interrupted by the station manager, stating that there was a weather event that needed to be covered,” she said. “In fact, it was the worse kind of breaking news. There was a perfect storm of weather elements resulting in a deadly string of tornadoes being formed between May 4th and 6th. One hundred twenty nine tornadoes were confirmed to have touched ground in central Kansas. One town, Greensburg Kansas, in particular was hit. The destruction was tremendous, 95 percent of Greensburg was destroyed, 13 people killed, and 60 people were injured in Greensburg alone.”
Michelle was assigned to interview the police chief at this horrific moment. To this day, she can hear the overwhelming sadness in his voice. “His voice kept breaking with emotion as he wondered how his town could ever recover from this devastation and destruction As a professional, I had to keep my own emotions in check, but I will never forget the effect that violent weather can have on the lives and welfare of a community. I also realized how vital it is for the meteorologist to comfort those who are affected.”
Michelle's dedication and determination attracted the attention of NBC 10 in Philadelphia, and she was hired as a full time meteorologist in 2008, a position she held until 2013, when she gave birth to Jeremy. Fortunately, there was a position for part-time work so Michelle is now happily a full time mom during the week, and a meteorologist on the weekend.
Some of the questions that people most often ask her are surprising. “People always want to know who does my hair and make-up, and where do I get my dresses,” she says. “Seldom, if ever, do people ask me about the weather.” Michelle said she does her own hair and make-up, and no, the network does not give lessons on how to correctly apply make-up and style hair. She admits that as a working mom, “not every dress is a home run,” but they are all hers. “We do get some styling advice regarding our clothes, but there is no clothing allowance,” We both wondered what kinds of questions the male meteorologists are asked.
Michelle's workday begins at 1:45 in the morning. She arrives at the station by 3:00 am, and begins preparations for her broadcast. “I write notes to the producer, who then comes up with possible headlines,” she says, “and I get ready to go on air at 5 a.m.” On a calm weather day, Michelle finds her way home by 11 or 12 o'clock, just at a time when her children are up and raring for mommy time.
“This is when I need to juggle my time and my energy because I have already worked the equivalent of a full day,” she says, “but then I think of the work ethic of my parents, and how they juggled a demanding business with five children. We were involved with activities and sports at Central Bucks East, and they managed to do it all.”
All plans are off, however, if the weather is bad. A snowstorm, violent weather of any kind, changes everything because she has to monitor what is happening, gather data from weather models and make forecasts. Michelle admits that she loves snowstorms, but once the snow starts falling, she is in the studio working. “I miss the experience of playing with my children in the snow, but I realize there are people counting on me to give an accurate forecast, to the best of my ability. The Philadelphia region includes mountains, cities, suburbs, and beaches, and you could have a drastic 40-degree difference in temperature in these areas.”
Michelle’s empathy radiates to her audience. “I always feel we are successful because of the people who watch us,” she says. “There is no difference between welcoming people at the hostess stand in the restaurant and speaking directly to them on TV. Viewers write to me about their families because they relate to how my own family has grown. Unknowingly, we can also help them through difficult times.”
One woman in particular made an impact on Michelle. She was working in the studio when a stranger came up to her and started to cry. The woman explained that she had recently moved into the area, knew no one, but made an emotional connection with Michelle through her broadcasts. “I felt that you were my friend,” the woman said, “and that has helped me cope with one of the loneliest times of my life.”
Michelle credits Jim O'Brien for mentoring her, so to speak, and she is following his lead. She has organized a weather club at Cold Springs Elementary School in Central Bucks, trying to encourage children to learn more about the weather. Aidan Maloney, a fifth grader, is extremely interested in meteorology, so Michelle invited him to come to the station. “Aidan came on set, prepared a little forecast, and had fun with the green wall. I am hoping that this experience will spark a permanent interest in him.”
She also talks with children about finding a subject they love, one that could possibly lead to a career. “I try to be honest about my job,” she says. “Yes, it does seem glamorous to be on television, but you have to be willing to forego holidays and other important functions because the weather is demanding your attention. If you love what you do, then the sacrifice is a little easier.”
What does this busy mom/meteorologist do when she is not working? “I love to run outdoors,” she says. “Most of the time I am inside looking out the window at the weather outside, but running puts me exactly where I want to be, out in the elements. Perfect!”
Margo Arminian Ragan is a freelance writer from New Hope who was assisted in this interview by her talented 12 year-old granddaughter, Emma Ragan, who is an aspiring writer.