Is predicting the weather as easy as looking out a window? Do news teams from local rival TV stations battle each other in their off time like in the movie “Anchorman?” What kind of skills do you need to be a TV broadcaster? To find out the answers to these questions I recently had a lighthearted chat with wise cracking KRDO (Comcast Channel 12/713) meteorologist Matt Meister, who’s been making weather forecasts at the station since 2001.

The Gazette: What’s the biggest misconception about being a meteorologist? My ideal weatherman is Brick Tamland from the movie “Anchorman,” so keep that in mind.

Matt Meister: Here’s the thing, Brick had it right. We all love lamp. I mean really, who doesn’t love lamp? We all like some light at night right? Seriously though, I think the biggest misconception is that we show up at 4:58 for a 5 p.m. newscast. We all work some really long days. Between school visits and other weather talks, making the forecast, doing newscasts, Facebook, Twitter, radio, the website and the other things I have to do, well, it’s usually after midnight when I get home.

Gazette: Where did you go to high school and what were you into as a teenager (sports, clubs, etc)?

Meister: I grew up in Tempe, Arizona and went to high school in Chandler. I was a three sport athlete – quarterback of the football team, point guard on the basketball team and the pitcher on the baseball team. Sure it was a small school and all but I was a legend. There’s probably a bust of me when you walk into the school now. Odd that I wasn’t invited for the unveiling ceremony but I’m sure it’s there (chuckles). When I wasn’t busy with that I jammed out with buddies, we made some wicked tunes in my parents’ garage. I think it really did sound wicked to the neighbors. They kept on talking to my parents about it.

Gazette: What made you want to be a meteorologist? How old were you when you made this decision and what inspired it?

Meister: After playing baseball at Colorado Northwestern Community College and my dreams of playing in the major leagues came to a grinding halt with a major shoulder surgery, I was faced with the big question – “What do I do with my life?” A family friend sent me a book called, “Do What You Are.” It’s based off the Myers-Briggs personality test. I took the test and looked at the careers that matched up my letters. When I got to meteorologist I said, “What the heck?” I couldn’t cut it at baseball where being right three out of ten times, 30 percent, makes you a hall of famer. What else has low expectations? Weatherman (a large beaming smile flashes across his face).

Gazette: Out of all the news reporters/anchors/meteorologists in Colorado Springs, who do you most enjoy watching and why?

Meister: Well there’s no pressure on this one is there? Are you trying to get me in trouble or what? If I say someone at a competing station my whole crew and management will be hacked off. If I say a good looking lady anywhere I’ll have some explaining to do to my wife. Way to throw me some softballs, geez (laughs). I’ll tell you this, I can’t stand watching myself. I really hate how I sound and usually find so much wrong with what I do in every show that it makes me think I should do something else for a living.

Gazette: I’ve seen you do some pretty goofy things on KRDO. I think my favorite was seeing you in a pirate outfit one Halloween. How important is it to you to show some humor and personality in your work?

Meister: Oh man, that part of me has really changed in my 11 years here. When I first started here, I was so concerned about showing that I knew what I was talking about weather wise that I came off as stiff. I felt a lot of pressure for the first few years of ownership under NPG too and I don’t think that helped my ability to be pleasant on the tube. I really owe a lot to our news director, Michael Sipes. About three years ago he said, “Matt, you have this great personality that never makes it to the air. Just be yourself. Trust me, people know you know weather.” That was all I needed. Now I don’t think I could work somewhere that stifled personality of their on-air staff.

Gazette: The Springs is a competitive market but how competitive are things really between the local meteorologists? Do you watch each other? Send nasty emails? Have fights with tridents in the parking lot of an abandoned factory (There’s that “Anchorman” thing again.)?

Meister: Are you serious? I wouldn’t fight either of them. Bledsoe (Brian Bledsoe of KKTV) is a big farm boy and I heard Daniels (Mike Daniels of KOAA) can bench about 300lbs. I’m in shape and all but I like to think I’m smarter than that. If you made me choose, I’d surely reach for the trident. I’m faster than both of them though, so they’d have to catch me first if they were looking to do some brawling (laughs).

Seriously though, I think there is a level of mutual respect amongst most of us. We are all aware of the hours, crummy schedules and demands of the job so we know what each other is going through. Brian and I are really good friends and talk frequently. We don’t really discuss the business part as we all have to be really careful about “trade secrets” (he did air quote it) and everything. We talk about our families, and, wait for it, weather.

Gazette: You’ve been with KRDO for over 10 years so I’m sure people recognize you when you go out. Do viewers ever approach you on the street? Any memorable encounters?

Meister: Oh yeah, I love it when people say hi. It’s so humbling that viewers invite us into their homes. I always enjoy the chance to shake hands and say thank you. It’s been really emotional lately after the fire though. I’ve hugged and cried with more than a few people. I met a really sweet woman in Woodland Park who said that she had recently lost her husband and that I got her and her daughter through the fire (long pause). It’s been a surreal experience to have more than a few that have said, “I just felt more comfortable when you were on. I knew everything was going to be ok”. I had no sense that I was doing anything like that when we were on the air so much the week of the fire. Looking back on it though, I think there was so much more going on than just being a broadcaster. I was just trying to help out in anyway I could.

Gazette: If kids asked you for advice on how to become a meteorologist or reporter or just wanted to get into TV, what would you tell them? What are the skills you need to succeed in your profession?

Meister: To be a meteorologist it’s appropriate that I have a B.S. degree (flashes his pearly whites while raising his eyebrows). I’m only partly kidding. When I get asked that question, I always answer it the same way. If you want to do weather, I’m of the opinion that you need to go to school and do the math and science. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, you need to wait for information to spit out of the printer or show up on the computer screen so you know what to say about what is going on or what you’re looking at. Most of the time that is fine I guess, but in those instances when seconds count and you need to analyze new information on the fly that can save someone’s life, you better know what you’re doing.

If I take the meteorology part out of it there is a definite skill set you need to do television news. You’ve got to be able to speak clearly, know the language and not be afraid to get in front of a group of people. I tell school kids to take performance classes. I don’t care if its drama, or music, or speech and debate. Do something that gets you up in front of different groups of people.

Gazette: What are your career goals? Do you want to be the next Al Roker? Have your own talk show? Where do you see yourself in five years? 10?

Meister: My number one career goal right now is to be the best dad and husband that I can. My schedule really isn’t that conducive to family life. It means being tired most of the time but it is what it is. I don’t want to have any regrets down the road just because I thought I needed eight hours of sleep.

In terms of the career that I get paid to do, that has actually become very clear recently. I was offered a job at a station in Kansas City a few weeks ago. It was flattering to be wanted by a bigger market for sure. To some extent, market size is a measure of success in the broadcast industry but this is my home. We’ve been here for 11 years, we have a wonderful network of friends, we love our church and I’m just not done yet at KRDO. I still have big plans for Stormtracker 13. In fact, I just signed a five-year contract through November of 2017. I work with a great team. Marty (Venticinque), Rachael (Plath) and Anders (Nelson) are all top-notch people, they are really good at what they do and I have fun working with each of them. I guess when I run out of ideas and don’t feel the competitive fire in my belly to provide the best weather information that I can it will be time to go. That hasn’t happened yet, so I’m not going anywhere in the short term.

Gazette: And finally, I’ve tried to convince you for a while now that your nickname should be “The Heat Meister” during the summer and “The Cold Meister” during the winter. Why are you reluctant to take on my brilliant suggestion? Is it the nickname fee? If so we can work out a payment plan.

Meister: I’ve come up with something better that allows me to use one name all year long as it covers way more than just the temperature. Rain, snow, lightning, wind, fog, ice, drizzle, sleet, flooding, fire and drought? They are all covered by “The Weather Meister.” This way I don’t have to pay you either.