📜 Post with us on Reddit
📝 Create a new article
🏭 Create a company page
🇬🇧 - in English
🇫🇷 - en Français (FR)
🇵🇹 - em Português (PT)
🇩🇪 - auf Deutsch (DE)
🇯🇵 - 日本語で (JA)
Sponsored articles

You can edit almost every page by Creating an account and confirming your email.

Sean Potter

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki


Sean Potter
Sean Potter in 2015.jpg Sean Potter in 2015.jpg
Potter in 2015
BornMarch 26, 1973
Rapid City, South Dakota
🏳️ NationalityAmerican
🎓 Alma mater
💼 Occupation
Known for
🏅 Awards
🌐 Websitewww.seanpotter.com

Sean Potter (born March 26, 1973)[4] is an American meteorologist, science writer, and weather historian. He is a contributing editor of Weatherwise magazine and author of Too Near for Dreams: The Story of Cleveland Abbe, America’s First Weather Forecaster.

Early life and education

Potter was born in Rapid City, South Dakota,[5][unreliable source?] and grew up in central Minnesota.[6] He became interested in science at an early age. As a teenager, he watched live television coverage of an F2 tornado that struck the Twin Cities suburbs of Brooklyn Park and Fridley on July 18, 1986.[7][6] The combination of helicopter footage from local NBC affiliate KARE[8] and in-studio coverage by meteorologist Paul Douglas helped focus his interest on weather.[6]

He attended Apollo High School[9] in St. Cloud, Minnesota, where his Earth science teacher encouraged his interest in meteorology and taught an elective course on the subject.[6]

Potter went on to study at St. Cloud State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in meteorology and German in 1996.[4][10][11] He is a recipient of the university's Excellence in Leadership Award.[11][12] He later pursued graduate studies at Indiana University,[13] earning a Master of Science degree in geography in 2000.[14] His research, under Professor Sue Grimmond,[1] focused on urban climatology and led to a coauthored paper in the International Journal of Climatology on rapid methods for estimating sky-view factors in urban areas.[15]

Career

Broadcast meteorology and early roles

Potter began his career as a broadcast meteorologist for KYMA, the NBC affiliate in Yuma, Arizona, where he served as chief meteorologist from 1998 to 1999.[16] After returning to Indiana to complete his master's degree, he worked in meteorology, climatology, and communications with organizations including the Southeast Regional Climate Center,[17][18] the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research,[19] and ABC News in New York.[20] At ABC he was a behind-the-scenes meteorologist and weather producer for Good Morning America, primarily for the weekend edition.[21]

Sean Potter and Karen Fox from NASA's Office of Communications cohosting the hourlong preview show to kick off NASA's live, four-hour television broadcast "Eclipse 2017: Through the Eyes of NASA" from the College of Charleston during the August 21, 2017, total solar eclipse. Potter also provided weather updates and other commentary for the three-hour-long main show, which was the most-watched event in NASA's history, with an estimated audience of 600 million.[22][23]

Federal service

In 2007, Potter joined the federal government[6] as a communications specialist and speechwriter for the National Weather Service (NWS),[6][24] part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He later served as a media relations and public affairs specialist at NASA.[21]

At NASA, he was the lead public affairs officer for the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS)[25] and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-R Series (GOES-R, later GOES-16)[26] missions, for which he moderated nationally televised media briefings from Kennedy Space Center.[27][28] He was also part of NASA's on-air team for the August 21, 2017, total solar eclipse broadcast, co-hosting the preview show and providing weather updates during the main program.[23][29]

Potter retired from federal service in 2022.

Science writing and publications

Too Near for Dreams

Potter's first book, Too Near for Dreams: The Story of Cleveland Abbe, America's First Weather Forecaster, was published in 2020 by the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and distributed by the University of Chicago Press.[30] The biography recounts how Cleveland Abbe, beginning in 1869, became the first person in America to successfully provide regular, practical weather forecasts for the public using a network of weather observers.

The book has been cited as addressing the lack of biographies of prominent figures in atmospheric science.[31][32] In 2020, Library Journal named it an academic best seller, as identified by GOBI Library Solutions from EBSCO.[33]

The book's publication led to a collaboration with The Arts Club of Washington, located in Abbe's former home at 2017 I St., NW, in Washington, D.C. In 2020, Potter was invited to give a lecture about Abbe and the house that is now home to the Arts Club.[34][unreliable source?] Two years later, the Arts Club unveiled a newly commissioned portrait of Abbe,[35] created in consultation with Potter, at an event that was attended by several of Abbe's descendants, including three of his great-grandsons.[36]

In 2021, Potter served as an expert for an AMS ad-hoc committee that reviewed Abbe's legacy. The committee's findings were published in the April 2022 issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.[37]

In 2023, The Weather Channel profiled Potter on his work, including how he came to write a biography of Abbe.[38]

Weatherwise

Potter has contributed to Weatherwise magazine since 2003 and has been a contributing editor since 2006.[39][40] His feature articles have covered topics such as the Wright brothers' first flight,[41] forensic meteorology,[42] the Enhanced Fujita scale,[43] depictions of weathercasters in popular media,[44] and the history of the NWS.[45][46][47] Since 2004 he has written the magazine's "Retrospect" column, which examines the meteorological aspects of historic events, often blending scientific analysis with insights into human responses and societal impacts to show how weather has shaped history.

Monthly Weather Review

In 2022, Potter and David M. Schultz, then chief editor of the AMS journal Monthly Weather Review, coauthored a historical review of the journal for its 150th anniversary.[48] They also coauthored an editorial for the journal reflecting on how some early content carried unintentional humorous connotations when read today.[49]

Other writing and media

Between 2005 and 2007, Potter wrote responses for the “Ask the experts” feature in USA Today.[50] In 2008, he contributed entries on weather and climate topics for the encyclopedia Research and Discovery: Landmarks and Pioneers in American Science[51]

From 2002 to 2003, he wrote scripts for The Weather Notebook,[52][53][54] a nationally syndicated radio program produced by the Mount Washington Observatory until 2005.[55] Potter later described these scripts as his first professional writing on weather.[56]

His work has been featured in media including The New York Times (as a letter to the editor),[57] American Metamorphosis[58][59] (a podcast from Boston Consulting Group and Atlantic Re:Think, the creative marketing studio within The Atlantic) and the AMS podcast Clear Skies Ahead.[6] He has also been interviewed as an expert by USA Today,[60][61] BBC News,[62] The Weather Channel,[63] Poynter,[64] and Forbes,[65] among other outlets.

Teaching

Potter has taught courses on weather and climate as an associate instructor at Indiana University[13][6] and later through the Natural History Field Studies program offered by the Audubon Naturalist Society (now Nature Forward) and Graduate School USA.[66][67]

Professional affiliations

Potter is a member of AMS and has served on its History Committee, Committee on the Station Scientist, and Commission on the Weather and Climate Enterprise Steering Committee.[68] He holds the AMS certifications of Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM)[69] and Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM)[70] and is a past president of the Association of Certified Meteorologists.[71] He is also a member of the International Commission on the History of Meteorology and the National Association of Science Writers.[72]

Honors and awards

Potter has received several honors for his work at NOAA and NASA. In 2013, he shared a Department of Commerce Gold Medal with others working at the NWS Eastern Region Headquarters; the NWS Mount Holly, New Jersey, Weather Forecast Office; and the NWS New York, New York, Weather Forecast Office (where Potter was detailed at the time[73]); for their service before, during, and after Hurricane Sandy.[74] In 2016, he received a NOAA Administrator's Award for his role in research and logistics that led to the posthumous awarding of the Purple Heart to four Weather Bureau personnel killed aboard the USCGC Muskeget during World War II.[75]

He also shared NASA Group Achievement Awards for the successful launch of the GOES-R satellite in 2016[76][77] and for media coverage of the 2017 total solar eclipse.[78]

Personal life

Potter lives in St. Joseph, Minnesota, with his family and works primarily as a freelance science writer.[6][79]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Grimmond, Christine Susan Betham (2014). "CV" (PDF). University of Reading. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  2. ↑ Pryor, Sara C. (2020). "CV" (PDF). Cornell University. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  3. ↑ Robeson, Scott M. (2021). "CV" (PDF). Indiana University. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Randall, Henry Pettus (1995). Who's who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. Randall Publishing Company. p. 1172. Search this book on
  5. ↑ James Spann (2012-05-29). WeatherBrains 331: JB Push the Blue Button. Retrieved 2025-09-06 – via YouTube.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 "Sean Potter, a science writer and weather historian". Blubrry Podcasting - Podcast Hosting, Statistics, WordPress Hosting, Syndication Tools and Directory. Retrieved 2025-08-18.
  7. ↑ "Too Near for Dreams | Weather Geeks". Apple Podcasts. 2021-03-10. Retrieved 2025-08-18.
  8. ↑ "30 years ago: Sky 11 captures incredible tornado footage". kare11.com. 2016-07-18. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
  9. ↑ "In business". St. Cloud Times. 2003-12-13. p. 6. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
  10. ↑ "Commencement Program [Spring 1996]". St. Cloud State University. 1996-05-24. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Excellence in Leadership Through the Years | St. Cloud State University". www.stcloudstate.edu. Retrieved 2025-08-18.
  12. ↑ "SCSU to honor 34 top volunteers". St. Cloud Times. 1995-04-30. p. 35. Retrieved 2025-08-18.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Honors". St. Cloud Times. 1996-05-12. p. 39. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  14. ↑ "Department salutes five years of graduates" (PDF). Indiana University Department of Geography. 2004. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  15. ↑ Grimmond, C.S.B.; Potter, S.K.; Zutter, H.N.; Souch, C. (2001-06-15). "Rapid methods to estimate sky-view factors applied to urban areas". International Journal of Climatology. 21 (7): 903–913. Bibcode:2001IJCli..21..903G. doi:10.1002/joc.659. ISSN 0899-8418.
  16. ↑ "Fates & Fortunes: Journalism" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable: 70. April 27, 1998 – via World Radio History.
  17. ↑ "LSCOG OKs new officers, $7.5M budget". The Times and Democrat. 2002-06-17. p. 3. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  18. ↑ "Sean Potter, SERCC Service Climatologist". www.sercc.com. Archived from the original on 2002-06-20. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  19. ↑ Henson, Bob (December 2005 – January 2006). "Offsite but not unseen: UCAR's non-Boulder staffers stay in touch". Staff Notes Monthly. 40 (11) – via NSF NCAR Archives.
  20. ↑ "WeatherBrains 331: JB Push the Blue Button | Alabama Weather Network". Retrieved 2025-08-18.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "On the Job". Weatherwise. 72 (1): 36–37. 2019-01-02. Bibcode:2019Weawi..72a..36.. doi:10.1080/00431672.2019.1548227. ISSN 0043-1672.
  22. ↑ "2017 Total Solar Eclipse". Amy Leniart. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Ward, Alan B. (September 2017). "NASA Provides Unique Views of the 2017 "Eclipse Across America"" (PDF). The Earth Observer. 29 (5): 4–17.
  24. ↑ "Tornado in NYC? Experts Survey Damage". NBC News. 2010-09-17. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  25. ↑ "New NASA Hurricane Tracking Mission on Track - NASA". Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  26. ↑ "NASA Successfully Launches NOAA Advanced Geostationary Weather Satellite - NASA". Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  27. ↑ NASA (2016-11-10). Media Briefed on New NASA Hurricane Mission. Retrieved 2025-09-01 – via YouTube.
  28. ↑ NASA (2016-11-17). Officials Brief Media on Mission of Next-Gen Weather Satellite. Retrieved 2025-09-01 – via YouTube.
  29. ↑ NASA (2017-08-24). Eclipse 2017: Through the Eyes of NASA. Retrieved 2025-08-19 – via YouTube.
  30. ↑ Potter, Sean. Too Near for Dreams: The Story of Cleveland Abbe, America's First Weather Forecaster. American Meteorological Society. Search this book on
  31. ↑ Doolin, Ciaran (2023). "Book review: Reginald Sutcliffe and the Invention of Modern Weather Systems Science". Weather and Climate. 42 (1): 75–79. JSTOR 27226716 – via JSTOR.
  32. ↑ Robbins Raines, Rebecca (2023). "Storms and Swarms: The Role of the US Army Signal Corps' Weather Observers during the Rocky Mountain Locust Plague of the 1870s". Great Plains Quarterly. 43 (1): 65–91. doi:10.1353/gpq.2023.a897849 – via Project MUSE.
  33. ↑ "Academic Best Sellers in Physics October 7, 2020". Library Journal. 2020-10-07. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  34. ↑ Arts Club of Washington (2020-11-08). The Arts Club at Home | Author Lecture and Discussion with Sean Potter. Retrieved 2025-09-04 – via YouTube.
  35. ↑ "The Arts Club of Washington Collection - "Portrait of Cleveland Abbe"". CatalogIt HUB. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
  36. ↑ @seankpotter (October 26, 2022). "Three great-grandsons of Cleveland Abbe at the unveiling of his portrait at @artsclubdc, located at 2017 I St. NW in #WashingtonDC, his home from 1877-1907. 'For those thirty years he gave character to the house,' Cleveland's son Truman wrote. Now his portrait hangs in its foyer" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  37. ↑ "AMS ad hoc Committee—Abbe Report". Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 103 (4): 306–309. August 2021.
  38. ↑ "Cleveland Abbe 'America's First Weather Forecaster' | Weather.com". weather.com. 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
  39. ↑ "Learn about Weatherwise". Taylor & Francis. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  40. ↑ "Weatherwise". Sean Potter | Meteorologist ★ Science Writer ★ Weather Historian. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  41. ↑ Potter, Sean (2003-11-01). "The Wright Weather". Weatherwise. 56 (6): 16–23. Bibcode:2003Weawi..56f..16P. doi:10.1080/00431670309605400. ISSN 0043-1672.
  42. ↑ Potter, Sean (2004-05-01). "Pieces of Evidence". Weatherwise. 57 (3): 28–33. Bibcode:2004Weawi..57c..28P. doi:10.1080/00431670409605457. ISSN 0043-1672.
  43. ↑ Potter, Sean (2007-01-01). "Fine-Tuning Fujita: After 35 years, a new scale for rating tornadoes takes effect". Weatherwise. 60 (2): 64–71. Bibcode:2007Weawi..60b..64P. doi:10.3200/WEWI.60.2.64-71. ISSN 0043-1672.
  44. ↑ Potter, Sean (2008-01-01). "He's Not a Weatherman…: But He Plays One on TV". Weatherwise. 61 (1): 26–31. Bibcode:2008Weawi..61a..26P. doi:10.3200/WEWI.61.1.26-31. ISSN 0043-1672.
  45. ↑ Potter, Sean (2024-09-02). "Cracking the Weather Code: How Early Weather Observers Used Encryption To Communicate Information". Weatherwise. 77 (5): 14–22. Bibcode:2024Weawi..77e..14P. doi:10.1080/00431672.2024.2376506. ISSN 0043-1672.
  46. ↑ Potter, Sean (2020-12-16). "The Birth of a Weather Service". Weatherwise. 74 (1): 32–39. doi:10.1080/00431672.2021.1839297. ISSN 0043-1672.
  47. ↑ Potter, Sean (2009-10-28). "Weather on the Flip Side: Looking Back at one of the Weather Bureau's early PR efforts". Weatherwise. 62 (6): 40–45. Bibcode:2009Weawi..62f..40P. doi:10.1080/00431670903337607. ISSN 0043-1672.
  48. ↑ Schultz, David M.; Potter, Sean (January 2022). "Monthly Weather Review at 150 Years: Its History, Impact, and Legacy". Monthly Weather Review. 150 (1): 3–57. Bibcode:2022MWRv..150....3S. doi:10.1175/MWR-D-21-0267.1.
  49. ↑ Potter, Sean; Schultz, David M. (2022). "The Unexpected Humor of Monthly Weather Review". Monthly Weather Review. 150 (9): 2207–2211. Bibcode:2022MWRv..150.2207P. doi:10.1175/MWR-D-22-0212.1.
  50. ↑ "Ask the experts". USA Today. 2007-06-19. p. 14. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
  51. ↑ Lawson, Russell (2008). Research and discovery: landmarks and pioneers in American science. Armonk (N.Y.): M. E. Sharpe. ISBN 978-0-7656-8073-0. Search this book on
  52. ↑ "The Weather Notebook | Weather Frogs". weathernotebook.org. Archived from the original on 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  53. ↑ "The Weather Notebook | Weather Flags". weathernotebook.org. Archived from the original on 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  54. ↑ "The Weather Notebook | The Wright Weather". www.weathernotebook.org. Archived from the original on 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  55. ↑ "Mount Washington radio show leaves air". Times Argus. 2006-01-01. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  56. ↑ "WeatherBrains 254: What's That Smell? – WeatherBrains". Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  57. ↑ "Opinion | Frances, Again and Again (Published 2004)". 2004-09-11. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  58. ↑ "A Reason To Care". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  59. ↑ "American Metamorphosis". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  60. ↑ Rice, Doyle. "First tornado photos taken 130 years ago". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  61. ↑ Rice, Doyle. "USA has the world's most extreme weather". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  62. ↑ Radio 5 Live Breakfast (Radio broadcast). BBC Radio. August 5, 2006.
  63. ↑ "Mystery Weather Notes Found In 1880s Dress Pocket | Weather.com". weather.com. 2024-02-04. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  64. ↑ Childs, Jan Wesner (2025-07-21). "Why accurately reporting death tolls in a disaster is so challenging — and important". Poynter. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  65. ↑ Shepherd, Marshall. "How The 2025 St. Louis Tornado Compares To A Historic One In 1896". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  66. ↑ Graduate School USA (Spring 2016). "Natural History Field Studies Spring Term Course Schedule" (PDF).
  67. ↑ "Fall Courses September–December" (PDF). Naturalist Quarterly: 31. Autumn 2019.
  68. ↑ American Meteorological Society (2025-07-21). Sharing Scientists' Stories A Conversation with Meteorologist Biographers - 17 October, 2024. Retrieved 2025-09-01 – via YouTube.
  69. ↑ "List of AMS Certified Consulting Meteorologists (CCM)". American Meteorological Society. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  70. ↑ "List of AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologists (CBM)". American Meteorological Society. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  71. ↑ "ACM Past Presidents | Association of Certified Meteorologists". certifiedmeteorologists.org. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  72. ↑ "Find a writer | ScienceWriters (www.NASW.org)". www.nasw.org. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  73. ↑ "St. Joe native eyed Sandy". St. Cloud Times. 2012-11-03. pp. B1. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  74. ↑ "Sixty-Fifth Annual Honor Awards Program" (PDF). U.S. Department of Commerce.
  75. ↑ "NOAA Administrator's Awards and Technology Transfer Awards" (PDF). NOAA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-05-06. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  76. ↑ "NASA Group Achievement Award | June 15, 2017". Sean Potter | Meteorologist ★ Science Writer ★ Weather Historian. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  77. ↑ "Awards and Accolades" (PDF). GOES-R Quarterly Newsletter (18): 3. July 7, 2017.
  78. ↑ "NASA Group Achievement Award | August 2, 2018". Sean Potter | Meteorologist ★ Science Writer ★ Weather Historian. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  79. ↑ "WeatherBrains episode 978: Feels Good, Smells Good". Retrieved 2025-08-31.

External links


This article "Sean Potter" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Sean Potter. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.


Retrieved from "https://en.everybodywiki.com/index.php?title=Sean_Potter&oldid=5240107"
License CC BY-SA 3.0
Powered by MediaWiki