The Good Life Magazine – September-October 2023

"Ever since
I was a kid
I was always staring
at storms, flipping on
the weather any time
a storm was coming."
– Justin Storm
preparing more probing questions — this redheaded
onion had layers upon layers left to peel away, and I had
my protective beer goggles firmly in place.
Consistent with what you’d expect of a man who’s made
a career of staring at clouds, Storm’s fascination with
the weather started at a young age. A native of the
Brainerd area, where severe summer weather
can pack a serious punch, Storm crossed the
Red River and headed north to earn his degree
in atmospheric sciences from the University of
North Dakota after completing his general studies
at Central Lakes Community College. Side note:
DON’T OVERLOOK 2-YEAR SCHOOLS, KIDS!
Within weeks of his first semester at UND, Storm found
himself eye-to-eye with… well, a storm (no relation). It was
love at first sight, and he took it as a clear sign he was
where he needed to be.
Tell me a bit about yourself, where you grew up,
how you got into this career, etc?
I grew up in Brainerd and lived there basically all my
life until I moved to UND. I still didn’t know what I
wanted to do, but my dad said I should probably
pick something, so I figured I might as well pick
something that I was interested in. Ever since I
was a kid I was always staring at storms, flipping
on the weather any time a storm was coming. So I
picked weather.
What’s your first meteorological memory?
I was probably 8 years old… was at my friend’s July
birthday party. We were leaving and there’s this big
storm coming through with the most lightning I had
ever seen. The sky was dark, downpouring rain, hail.
I went home and just sat there staring at the lightning.
My mom kept telling me to get away from the window
because there was a tornado a few miles out and sirens
were blaring.
I’m sure you’ve heard a hundred jokes about
your name, so have you ever considered
switching careers?
It’s one of the reasons why I went into the
weather! I figured I’d get a job because of
my last name. It’s like “Your tailor’s name is
Taylor!?”
What generation meteorologist are you…
third, fourth?
First one!
Have you ever considered a job as a pro wrestler?
“Justin Storm, the Mad Meteorologist” has a
good ring.
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