TV Meteorologist

TV Meteorologist

Kevin Selle

Wichita Falls, TX

Male, 55

I've been a broadcast meteorologist on television since the early 1990's. Happy to answer any questions about the weather or local TV news. Yes, I often wear sneakers on set just out of view of the camera.

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326 Questions

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Last Answer on December 24, 2019

Best Rated

Are you allowed to eat or drink something while live? Sometimes they go live for a long time but don’t drink anything. They must get thirsty at one point?

Asked by Tj over 6 years ago

Yup! Not always easy. I know there have been more than a few times while on the air in continuous coverage when I see someone out of the corner of my eye holding a cup of water. I try not to hug them but the motivation is there. Thanks, TJ!

What’s the difference between a hurricane and a superstorm?

Asked by Hope over 6 years ago

Good question, Hope. Superstorm isn’t a scientifically recognized meteorological term, most likely a media creation at some point. Hurricane has a definition in the American Meteorological Society Glossary: A tropical cyclone with 1-min average surface (10 m) winds in excess of 32 m s-1 (64 knots) in the Western Hemisphere (North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and in the eastern and central North Pacific east of the date line). Thanks!

The name is derived from "huracan," a Taino and Carib god, or "hunraken," the Mayan storm god. For a more complete discussion, see tropical cyclone.

Is this your dream job or something that you never saw yourself doing unitll you did it?

Asked by Caleb over 6 years ago

Was very interested in the sky as a kid but never really thought it was a career until I was in my 20s. Always loved broadcasting and started in radio. Became friends with another television meteorologist who got me started in a college meteorology program and the more I learned the more I liked. So, broadcasting yes. Meteorology came later. Thank for asking, Caleb. Hope you're doing (or will do) something you love!

Is there a name for the period of silence between the lightning strike and the thunder clap?

Asked by Shane Chuvalas about 7 years ago

Great question! Not that I know of. The delay in hearing thunder is because light travels faster than sound. The lightning causes the air to heat and expand rapidly and that shockwave is the thunder. The visible flash gets to you faster. If you were standing right next to the bolt (not recommended) you would see and hear at the same time. Thanks!

What exactly is fog?

Asked by Dylan C over 7 years ago

Hi, Dylan. Water can be seen in the atmosphere in three states. Solid, liquid and gas. When water vapor (the gas) cools, visible liquid drops form by condensation. Think of putting ice in glass of water. Liquid water drops form on the outside because the air around the glass cools. Fog is drops of liquid water (there can be freezing fog too) that form on small particles in the air called condensation nuclei. An easier way to think about fog is a cloud in contact with the ground.

As a teacher, I looked up from the playground to a cloudy sky. straight above were to clouds counter rotating. I called the weather service and they said it was a common benign occurrence but had no name for the phenomenon. Is there a name for it?

Asked by Robert Zachary over 6 years ago

I'll side with the National Weather Service on this one, having not seen a picture. They would have been more aware of the conditions at the time you called. My guess would be you might have seen some sort of wind maximum that created a vortex one either side. A loose example would be the wave of a boat. Thanks!

Can the NWS issue watches or is that only something the storm prediction center can do?

Asked by Donovin over 7 years ago

Great question. A tornado or severe thunderstorm watch will come from the Storm Prediction Center, often in consultation with local offices. A hurricane watch will come from the National Hurricane Center and winter weather and flood watches will come from local offices. Thanks, Donovin!