This past week, I connected with a group down in the valley which had a couple of children in the audience who were very interested in weather. At the end of the program when I asked if there were any questions, a mother spoke up explaining that her son was very much into weather, and she asked if I had any advice for him. I immediately went off with a long-winded answer for this child, because I remember very well being young and passionate about weather. Sometimes at a young age, without people pointing you in the right direction, you may become lost in what interests you the most so I did my best to encourage these children to keep at it. I encouraged them to watch TV weather broadcasts every day, go to all programs like the ones we provide as frequently as possible, keep their passion for weather alive, and most of all, do their absolute best in school. I may have failed to mention the types of classes you take in college to obtain a meteorology degree, but no matter how intelligent you are, if you have a passion for something you will find a way to work through it. Keeping the next generation interested in weather is so important, especially with the way the climate is changing and how it is becoming such a hot topic. Our weather forecasting models are continuing to improve, as well as our understanding of the earth’s atmosphere and how it behaves. This is only because generations of brilliant scientists have spent their lives working at this goal. The general public may question the accuracy of forecasts and the weather broadcasters on TV, but when you look at forecasting over the past fifty years, it is evident that we have come a long way!