WPRI 12 Meteorologist Steve Cascione '77 Leads June Chat
Don't Blame the Weatherman
When you're right, no one remembers; When you're wrong (and it rains on your graduation), no one forgets. Such is the life of a weatherman.
On Tuesday, June 20, 2006, WPRI 12 Meteorologist Steve Cascione`77 joined us for a Web chat to respond to your questions about the 2006 hurricane season, hurricane tracking, weather-related trends, and what it's like to be a weatherman. A transcipt of that session follows.
Cascione, a Rhode Island native, attended Classical High School and the University of Rhode Island, where he graduated in 1977 with a BA degree in Geography and Meteorology. After graduate work at MIT, he served as a consulting meteorologist in State College, Pennsylvania. In 1980, he returned to Rhode Island and joined the WLNE TV-6 weather team. After 22 years at WLNE TV-6, Cascione joined WPRI TV-12 were he is part of the Pinpoint Weather Team 12. Steve Cascione is also president of Ocean State Weather, a private weather consulting firm serving a number of Rhode Island clients, including the Department of Transportation (DOT), attorneys, and cities and towns that rely on winter forecasts.
Web chats are a feature of the URI Division of University Advancement electronic communications program. If you have questions about Web chats, please contact the URI Publications Office at 401-874-2075 or email: eservices@advance.uri.edu
Steve Cascione '77, WPRI 12 Meteorologis: Good Afternoon. I'm Channel 12 Meteorologist Steve Cascione. And, I'm here to answer any questions you might have on the hurricane season.
North Providence: Is there sufficient historical data to determine if the worsening degree of hurricanes is a normal fluctuation or is man adversely affecting hurricane severity and climate?
Steve Cascione '77, WPRI 12 Meteorologis: The answer to that is hurricanes go in cycles, sometimes 20 year cycle periods. And, what we find in these cyclical periods is above and below normal hurricane activity. In the last 10 years, we are in an above normal hurricane period. This will probably continue for at least the next 10 years. Right now there is no correlation that man is adversely affecting hurricane severity, although global warming is, in fact, producing above normal ocean temperatures which can indeed produce more severe hurricanes.
mike deruosi---princeton nj: did you develop your love for the weather when you summered at scarborough beach???
Steve Cascione '77, WPRI 12 Meteorologis: Hey Mike. Good to hear from an old friend. Spending summers at the beach certainly helped my interest in weather. Hope all is well with you and your family.
Mike Mainelli: Steve... great reading about you here on URI chat.. we have all come a long way from the Angel Road days.. with David Crook and the crew at Adams..LOL...Its a strong bond...,.glad you are doing well... family is here in Orlando but my dad still lives on Harbor Island... be well...your friend from anoteher era.. Mynell
Steve Cascione '77, WPRI 12 Meteorologis: Hi Mike. Yes, we have all come a long way from Angel Road days! I am enjoying still working here and living in Rhode Island, and doing something I always wanted to -- that's forecasting weather on TV. I hope you and your family are well.
Merritt Island, Fla.: I was living in Stuart, Fla. in 2004 when two hurricanes came thruogh and now I'm traumatized. I was thinking of going up to R.I. for August & Sept. to avoid a repeat of 2004, but I keep hearing that New England has a good chance of getting hit. I remember the hurricanes in '54 and '60. What do you think of possiblity of R.I. getting a 2006 hurricane. thanks, Laurie Seixas
Steve Cascione '77, WPRI 12 Meteorologis: Hi Laurie. Florida has been through a tough time the last few years with hurricanes, after going through several years of not being impacted by them. Here in New England, we also have been very lucky in not getting a severe hurricane since 1954. Hurricane Gloria in 1986 and Bob in 1991 were weak storms that did little damage, unfortunately, the law of averages is catching up to us and as we get further away from a storm like Carol in 1954, we get that much closer to having something of that magnitude repeated here in Rhode Island.
Nicki (East Greenwich): What kinds of services do you provide for your clients as a private weather consultant?
Steve Cascione '77, WPRI 12 Meteorologis: Hi Nicki. As a private weather consultant, the services I provide are very specific in nature. Such as, investigating prior weather events that lawyers may need when trying to determine a case that's weather related. I am hired by them to go to court to testify as an expert witness. In the wintertime, many cities and towns, as well as the State of RI Department of Transportation, consult with me when trying to determine exact times of snow and ice, as well as amounts. This helps them to cut down the cost of snow removal, which can be very expensive. People look to weather consultants for information that they can not get on a daily basis on either television, radio or print, as well as web sites.
Gingham: 1) I’m currently a high school student and am considering a career in Meteorology. Which colleges have good programs for someone pursuing such a career? Also, is grad school recommended and if so, a Masters or PhD?
2) Once in college, what curriculum would you recommend?
Steve Cascione '77, WPRI 12 Meteorologis: There are many good colleges across the country. Here in New England, Lyndon State is a very good choice. Although grad school is not required, it would be a good idea if you're looking for a field in research or more technical meteorology. A bachelors degree would be good enough to pursue a career in forecasting weather. Once you do get into college, you need to major in physics, chemistry, math, and other science related fields. If you're interested in the television end, a good background in communications is a must as well.
Kim (Richmond): I've heard that preparedness for hurricanes and large storms is expensive for state and local government. How does that factor into your newscast when announcing a major storm?
Steve Cascione '77, WPRI 12 Meteorologis: Hi Kim. It is true, preparing for hurricanes and storms is expensive. As a matter of fact, it costs the State of RI up to $100,000 per hour to remove snow from the highways, however, it really doesn't factor into our newcasts when announcing a major storm. Our responsibility is to get the information out to the public as accurately and quickly as possible.
Newport, R.I.: Is the cove beach at Castle Hill on Ocean Drive in Newport (where the beach cottags are) consided a vulernable area in the event of a hurricane? Or, just by BEING a U-shaped COVE, facing due South, and protected by high rock outcroppings on either side of the entrance to the cove, is the cove/beach area, more, or less, susceptible to surges, or high tide extremes in the event of a hurricane?
Steve Cascione '77, WPRI 12 Meteorologis: Living close to the ocean in Rhode Island is vulnerable to any kind of storms, especially hurricanes. The last two category 3 storms (the '38 hurricane and Hurricane Carol in '54) caused considerable damage along the south coast of RI, including the Newport area. Being on a u-shaped cove, especially facing due south, if a storm were to go a few miles to the west of you, and the storm were a category 3 or higher, the chances of having those beach cottages survive are slim to none.
Moderator: How did you decide to pursue a career in meteorology?
Steve Cascione '77, WPRI 12 Meteorologis: I actually got interested in science at a very early age, around the 4th grade and science became a fascination of mine. I had a chemistry set, experimented with electricity, and became very fascinated with weather events, especially snow storms. I continued being very interested in science, through high school, and decided when I entered college that I would major in Meteorology.
Steve Cascione '77, WPRI 12 Meteorologis: Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I hope I was helpful in some of the questions that were asked. Hopefully you will tune in to our morning show, Monday - Friday, as we track the ever changing New England weather. As far as my thoughts about this hurricane season for New England, although I think it will be a very active year, it is almost impossible at this time to tell you where the storms will track. But, given the fact that we haven't had a severe hurricane since 1954, we get ever closer to that kind of storm repeating here in Rhode Island. The good news is that with the technology we have, we can see and predict these kind of events many days away, so there is no excuse not to be prepared.
