Description
Install, operate, and maintain meteorological instruments; observe and record atmospheric conditions; quality-control and process data from surface and upper-air stations, satellites, and radar; and prepare and disseminate routine weather reports, maps, and briefings to support forecasters, aviation, emergency management, and the public.
- • Follow standard operating procedures and safety protocols during field and office operations.
- • Support station operations, scheduling, and training records as assigned.
- • Participate in field deployments and site surveys for instrumentation or wind assessments.
- • Collect air or precipitation samples during field missions and maintain chain of custody.
- • Respond to public and stakeholder inquiries and route technical questions appropriately.
- • Develop and maintain simple scripts, databases, or configurations for data collection and display.
- • Assist with integration, validation, and calibration checks for new sensors or data feeds.
- • Prepare and deliver basic training on observing procedures, equipment use, and severe weather safety.
- • Assist in impact assessments by gathering, formatting, and delivering meteorological inputs.
- • Support continuity of operations during severe weather, including backup power and communications checks.
- • Collect and ingest meteorological data from surface, upper-air, radar, and satellite sources.
- • Prepare, launch, and track radiosondes, and process upper-air wind, temperature, and humidity data.
- • Operate forecast workstations and data acquisition systems to support forecasting operations.
- • Monitor radar, satellite, lightning, and surface observations to identify short-term hazards.
- • Prepare and transmit routine and special weather observations (e.g., METAR/SPECI, SYNOP) per standards.
- • Create weather maps, graphics, and briefings using computer tools.
- • Disseminate approved weather conditions, forecasts, and warnings via web, radio, or internal systems.
- • Install, calibrate, and maintain meteorological sensors, data loggers, and communications equipment.
- • Perform preventive maintenance and troubleshooting on observing and upper-air systems.
- • Verify, quality-control, and archive observational and climate datasets.
- • Compile climate summaries, normals, and trend charts for assigned locations.
- • Support air quality and pollution monitoring by operating samplers and logging data.
- • Run local numerical guidance, scripts, or post-processing and check outputs for reasonableness.
- • Assist meteorologists with short-term forecast decision support and product preparation.
- • Coordinate with partner agencies, media, and emergency managers on data and product status.
- • Prepare shift logs, equipment status reports, and other routine documentation.
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
