Mike Bettes

 
 Mike Bettes
Photo Gallery
Your Weather Today

Monday - Friday, 7:00 am to 10:00 am

Co-Hosts:  Stephanie Abrams Jeff Morrow

My Hometown

Tallmadge, OH

Education

B.S in Atmospheric Science, Ohio State University

Interests & Hobbies

I like to surf the Internet, watch college football (especially Ohio State football) and work out. I've finished dozens of races and triathlons including the 2006 Rock-n-Roll Half Ironman in Georgia and hope to someday race in the Ironman in Hawaii. I also collect sports cards and bobbleheads.
As for musical interests, I like Rock, Classic Rock, Country, Jazz, New Age and Folk. Some of my favorite artists are U2, The Eagles, Matchbox 20, Aerosmith, The Beatles, The Killers, .38 Special, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Cat Stevens, The Police, Elvis, Ray LaMontagne, John Mayer, Billy Joel, All American Rejects, Bruce Springsteen, Oscar Peterson, Dave Mathews Band, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Jimmy Buffet, Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton.

Why did you choose Meteorology?

When I was a kid growing up in the snowbelt of Ohio, it snowed constantly. My sister and I would watch the local weatherman, Dick Goddard, to see if we would have the day off from school because of snow. We ended up watching him so much and we had so many days off of school that he kind of became a friend through the TV. Initially, that's how I became interested in weather.

Awards & Accreditations

2001 Emmy Award for a series on tornado chasing in the plains
AMS Seal of Approval
NWA Seal of Approval


Follow me on Twitter.

What would you like to know about Mike Bettes?

Q: Do you love or hate Winter?

A: My relationship with winter is a love/hate one. On one hand, I love the look of a fresh fallen snow on a cold winter day and I really enjoy(even as an adult) skiing, sled riding, and a good snowball fight! On the other hand, there are a lot of reasons not to like winter. I despise shoveling and snowblowing. Driving on ice is a nightmare. Living in the north most of my life, the winter can be pretty depressing. It’s always cold. It’s always cloudy and it’s always dark by 5 o’clock. There is a lot to be said for sunshine. Now that I think about, I’m making a strong case for moving to the Bahamas. Alright, who am I kidding? I hate winter. I can take the snow in small doses and LOVE covering big snow storms for The Weather Channel, but living in it for 4-5 months at a time is not for me. I’m over it!

Jan 21, 2009

Q: What is your most memorable weather moment?

A: I have several. My top 3 are: Going through category 3 hurricane Ivan in Pensacola in 2004, the Ohio snow storm in March 2008, and the aftermath of hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Oct 27, 2008

Q: When you are not at work, what do you enjoy doing?

A: Surfing the web, boating/skiing on the lake, mountain biking, swimming, finding new restaurants. I used to like landscaping but my yard has too many fire ants these days and I'm allergic so I'm not a big fan of yard work anymore.

Oct 27, 2008

Q: What are your favorite vacation spots?

A: Where do I begin? The best place I've ever visited is Sedona, AZ. It's got the best scenery and is a great place to relax. I also really enjoyed Park City, UT. It's so beautiful there and you can visit some of the venues from the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Oct 27, 2008

Q: What is one fact people may be surprised to know about you?

A: I finished 2nd in a pro-am bowling tournament when I was 10 years old, losing to the pro-bowler by 1 pin in the tenth frame.

Oct 27, 2008

Q: Have you ever seen or experienced a tornado? If so, tell us about it.

A: I saw several tornadoes while chasing in OK, TX, and LA. The worst was a tornado that went through Shreveport on Easter Sunday 2000. It took out the bus station, the post office, and did a lot of damage throughout the city.

Oct 27, 2008

Do you have a question you would like to ask Mike Bettes?   Send it to us.

Mike Bettes Blogs

Ice Cold Olympics!

I traveled on the Sky Train about 20 miles south of Vancouver to the beautiful city of Richmond. The weather in this town of 190,000 people is quite a bit different than Vancouver's. It's 30% sunnier here than in Vancouver, due largely to the...

Tuesday, 02/23/2010 - 02:38:54 PM

View All Blog Entries

Video
Miss America crowns Mike!
Miss America crowns Mike!

Miss America crowns Mike! NEW!

Abrams & Bettes: Miss America 2007, Lauren...

12/01/2009

Video Montage:  Mike Bettes caught in the storm
Video Montage:  Mike Bettes caught in the storm

Video Montage: Mike Bettes caught in the storm NEW!

Abrams & Bettes: Mike Bettes has covered m...

12/01/2009

Bettes tries his hand at baseball
Bettes tries his hand at baseball

Bettes tries his hand at baseball NEW!

Aug. 24, 2009 Mike Bettes throws out the f...

08/24/2009

Mike Bettes with frozen eyebrows
Mike Bettes with frozen eyebrows

Mike Bettes with frozen eyebrows  NEW!

3/9/08 The Weather Channel's Mike Bettes ...

12/01/2009

 
Search the Web

Home | Site Map | Video Site Map | Customer Service | Feedback | About Us | Press Room | Careers | Advertising

Copyright © 1995-2010, The Weather Channel Interactive, Inc. weather.com® Licensed by TRUSTe | Parental TV Controls Terms of Service | Privacy Statement