The last week has been challenging and sad. Gary Shore, Chief Meteorologist of KCAU-TV Channel 9 in Sioux City, IA died last Monday from a heart attack.
It's hard to believe that a little less than two years ago Gary gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. I remember talking to him on the phone as we were setting things up for the summer internship. Gary said, “You can come in 5 days a week [to intern].” I was shocked at such a generous offer. So shocked that it must have sounded to Gary that I didn't want to intern that much and he replied, “Well, you can come in 3 or 4 days, whatever works for you.” Needless to say, things fell into place during finals week for a place to live over the summer in Sioux City. I spent the next 12 weeks as part of the weather team, albeit “the intern”, and I felt like I became part of the KCAU family.
The summer wasn't overly active for severe weather. In fact, it was one of the warmest and driest on record. (3rd driest May, 2nd driest July, 4 days of 100 or above). However, Gary taught me a lot about weather forecasting. I kept a log of my time there as well as a record of our forecasts (we had an informal weather forecasting contest). It was amazing how Gary would go out in his extended and forecast 100+ temperatures and darn if they wouldn't verify or be within a few degrees of what actually occurred. I was always gun-shy to pull the trigger, but after Gary shared with me what he was seeing (pattern recognition) and I started observing the same feature, I began calling for 100+ temperatures (not as often though). As I make forecasts today, I use some of the same websites and techniques Gary showed me during my time interning under him. I even have my forecasting sheets from that summer, which I found in a box about 2 weeks ago while cleaning.
While my internship ended, Gary and I had stayed in contact. He was always willing to lend advice whether on a resume tape or on a job offer or chat about the current weather. Gary played a large role (along with my uber-Adobe skills) in getting me to the top of the list at my current job here at Penn State. When I emailed Gary that I was applying for the position at PSU, he replied that folks might remember him (since he did his master's work at PSU). His roommate when he was at PSU, Paul, is now my manager. Small world. An hour later, Gary sends me an email saying that he placed a phone call to Paul highly recommending me for the position. Late last week, Paul reminisced and shared some stories of their time together.
This brings me to my last point. In all the sadness and sorrow of Gary's death, I am in awe of God. Why? It's hard to put into words, but to think that Gary and I only knew each other for around two years. Two years are lives crossed paths. If Gary had never come to Siouxland, I would have never had the opportunity to intern with him, never would have been able to have him as a reference, and I would not hold the position I hold today at Penn State. You take out any piece of that complex puzzle and I'm certain I would not be where I am at today in forecasting ability and my current job. When I was offered and accepted the internship, I viewed it as an internship that only last 12 weeks, but God saw so much more. He saw what I could not see. That interning with Gary would ultimately place me in Pennsylvania, a place where Gary started, and a place God wanted me to be. Thinking about how little I saw into the future then in 2006, makes me all the more certain that God's plan for the future is great...and just the thought makes me smile.
If nothing else, Gary's sudden death is a reminder that none of us are promised tomorrow. From dust you were formed and to dust you shall return. (Gen. 3:19)
To me, Gary was a well-educated meteorologist, a teacher, a mentor, and most of all, a Christian friend.
Thanks Gary for sharing your passion and knowledge with me.
Gary Shore RememberedMemories of GaryNote: More on Gary will be coming in the future exclusively to this blog.
Gary Shore (right) and me on my last day of interning in August 2006.
A High Risk of severe weather is expected across portions of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa including (but not limited to) the cities of...Storm Lake...Milford...Spirit Lake...Estherville...Omaha...Lincoln...Sioux City. The threat for large hail, damaging winds, and potentially long-tracked tornadoes exists for Thursday, May 29. The above image highlights those areas...red indicates a 30% chance of tornadoes, blue, 15%, brown 10%, light brown 5% and green 2%.
