NBC 10 Meteorologist Visits Teitelman School

ERMA — NBC 10 Meteorologist Dave Warren told students he spent his summers in Stone Harbor and chased tornadoes while in college in Oklahoma.
Warren presented an assembly at the Richard M. Teitelman School Tuesday Feb. 23. He is seen weekends at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. on NBC 10 and My PHL News on Channel 17 at 10 p.m.
He told the audience he came to NBC 10 in April 2003. He grew up outside Philadelphia in Havertown P.A. and spent summers in Stone Harbor.
Warren said he could not just walk into NBC 10 and say, “I’m ready to work.” He began his television meteorology career in Missoula, Mont. in 1998.
Warren asked the audience if they ever took a summer job for $7 per hour.
“I started for $6.50 an hour to be on television, that was part time,” he said. “You do have to put your time in but I had a lot of fun.”
Warren said he went to work on weekends, Christmas and holidays but he still loved the work.
“Anybody you see on TV, especially weather people or reporters, they have to love what they do because there a lot of things that go against them,” he said.
When he first started at NBC 10, he awakened at 2 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Warren said while the weather segment on the newscast may last two minutes, two to three hours of preparation time is required. He advised students who want to work as meteorologists to take a lot of math in high school and college.
Warren said he received his degree at the University of Oklahoma where he tried his hand at storm chasing tornadoes. He worked for free at NBC 10 as an intern in 1997.
“I would came in everyday and learn a little bit about it and I would eventually make a tape of me doing the weather and that’s what I sent to Montana to get my first job,” said Warren.
Warren said it was good for a meteorologist to start in a small market where they can learn to be a communicator and “basically work through your nerves.”
He showed photos of clouds, weather map, the NBC Weather Center and studio.
Students asked how much money Warren earned. He would not give his current paycheck amount but said meteorology is not a high paying field.
Warren said he worked for five years as a meteorologist and earned less than $25,000 per year.
A student asked if Warren’s paycheck was “docked” if he came up with an incorrect forecast.
“We get paid the same amount whether we are right or wrong,” he replied.
The weather will never be predicted with 100 percent accuracy, said Warren.