Cool Jobs: Eyes on the Skies-Chanelle Stigger, meteorologist, National Weather Service Lake Charles 

by Angie Kay Dilmore 

 As a young child, Chanelle Stigger’s favorite television show was The Weather Channel (TWC). Her elementary school years were spent in Atlanta, Georgia, so she was able to tour TWC and CNN headquarters, even speaking to a meteorologist at CNN. In late middle school, her family moved to Las Vegas, and in high school, she shadowed forecasters at the National Weather Service (NWS) there. While at North Carolina A&T State University, where she studied atmospheric sciences and meteorology and double minored in applied mathematics and physics, she had two summer internships through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) EPP/Hollings Program – one in Maryland with the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) and the other in Missouri with the Aviation Weather Center. “Through these opportunities, I networked with several NWS employees and learned more about the weather service from an insider’s perspective,” she says. 

Stigger, currently a senior NOAA meteorologist, has worked at NWS Lake Charles for five years. She creates forecasts; issues watches, warnings, and advisories for the public, pilots, and mariners in Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana; and provides Impact-Based Decision Support Services (IDSS) forecasts to core partners such as emergency managers and local officials. Other than these typical duties, Stigger also enjoys outreach activities that take her outside the office. “These vary from interacting with the public, to educating local communities about the weather, to giving school talks, and more.” 

 Another favorite part of her job? Stigger loves launching the weather balloon! It’s been her long-time habit to attach friendly, inspirational notes to the “sonde” (the weather package that hangs from the balloon and transmits data back to the forecasters). In those dark days after Hurricane Laura, her notes became more hopeful. “I decided to write things that would cheer me up if I found them,” she says. “One message read, ‘We will rebuild, stay strong’ and was found by a woman in Lafayette. It was the first time someone notified me that one of my sondes was found. I was elated when she told me it made her day. That’s why I do it. If you find one of my sondes, I want it to put a smile on your face.” 

 Not being native to Southwest Louisiana, Stigger says she was surprised to learn “we can get a little bit of everything down here: tropical storms, flooding, heat/humidity, severe weather, you name it. However, we’ve also seen bitter cold wind chills, subfreezing temperatures, ice storms, and wildfires. While they are not common, they do happen. It’s a challenge, but it keeps things exciting.” 

 Meteorology can be stressful, especially in times of severe weather. But Stigger says these times are among the most poignant. “When we weather a storm together and put forth our best efforts during stressful events, then see good results, it is rewarding. When I issue a warning with enough lead time for someone to dodge severe weather or forecast hurricane conditions to give people enough time to prepare and evacuate, I make a difference in their lives. It’s rewarding to know that my passion for weather helps keep people safe.” 

 For those interested in becoming a meteorologist, Stigger recommends shadowing forecasters, volunteering at a NWS office, or touring their facility. “Specifically for college students, the Pathways Program or Hollings / EPP programs are great ways to get your foot in the door and gain fantastic firsthand experience.”