Zachary Riel

I joined Innovative Weather in the fall of 2021. My educational background is a B.S. in Meteorology from Western Illinois University and a M.A. in Communication from the same university. My thesis used a health communication model to analyze how people in the Midwest would respond to and interpret a WEA tornado warning text message that they may receive one day. The strong interest in weather for me started at a young age with how quick the weather could change in one location. Working with the public to help them gain knowledge of weather and becoming weather resilient is a passion of mine. This passion was put to use during college when I was in charge of educational outreach for the local community. I enjoy being a part of the team at Innovative Weather and love working with them and our partners on forecasts. During the weekdays I work as a GIS technician for a company in Waukesha, WI. When I'm not working, I can be found spending time with my wife, Mariah, and our three guinea pigs, Chewie, Poe, and Finn. I enjoy water sports, photography, hiking, and skiing.