From time to time I get asked what you need to do to become a meteorologist.  Not many people realize how much math there is in getting a degree in atmospheric science or a related program.  Dr. Marshall Shepherd has a good description of what it takes to get a degree in meteorology in his Forbes.com post here.  But even if you don’t have a degree, you can still love and appreciate the weather and observe it as a citizen scientist for CoCoRaHS or other organizations.  In my experience, farmers and foresters are very good weather observers because it affects their activities on a daily (and occasionally hourly) basis.

Source: John Ryan, KUCB via Alaska Dispatch News
Source: John Ryan, KUCB via Alaska Dispatch News