Rachel Frank: Students Learn the Path to Weather Forecasting

The following article was written by Hamden Middle School student Jackie Theroux as part of a class project coordinated by teacher Liz Yaffe.

By Jackie Theroux

Have you ever considered being a meteorologist? Probably not, but neither had Rachel Frank, at first. Now, she is the best weathercaster in New England, and she has an Emmy to prove it!

Like many aspiring newscasters, Rachel Frank started at the very bottom. Early in her career, she was reporting on stolen shopping carts, but now Rachel has worked her way to the top and is the amazing meteorologist for Fox CT News!

She spoke to our classrecently and shared her interesting story with us.

Some people know early one what they want to be when they grow up. Rachel Frank was one of these people, or so she thought.

Rachel had always wanted to be a great actress; she even tried out for many school plays. She did NOT consider meteorology because she thought it was too boring. That is, until middle school, when she got assigned a project on clouds. To Rachel's surprise, she caught the "weather bug!"

Rachel enjoyed her project and wanted to learn more about a career in meteorology. Now, she encourages kids around Connecticut to do the same! Rachel considers herself a "weather geek" and is always learning ways to improve her skills in meteorology!


Have you ever heard the term "smarty pants"? Well, that's what Rachel is, but definitely in a good way! Rachel Frank has an undergraduate degree in meteorology with a focus on forecasting from Pennsylvania State University. She graduated with honors and was also as a member of the National Meteorological Society.

Rachel worked very hard to become the best meteorologist she could be and still does! She told us she has become a better meteorologist since joining Fox CT News.

"I can devote my entire career, all my time towards weather," she says. As you can see, unlike some people, Rachel really loves her job! She is even a
member of both the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association. Rachel takes pride in her job, and it really shows!


At some point you may have been so scared that your knees shook until you couldn’t even stand up straight. When she first started on-air, Rachel Frank used to get that feeling quite often. A classmate asked her how she felt during her first forecast. "My knees were shaking, I didn't know what I was talking about. I was so nervous," she remembers. In fact, it took her about two years to feel comfortable on air! Wow! 

We also asked Rachel what she is thinking about during her forecasts. She told us she thinks about how to phrase things. She also said there is someone talking in her ear while she is forecasting. That must be very distracting! Luckily, Rachel has learned the tricks to perfecting her weather forecasts!

So, would you want to be a meteorologist? It sure does seem likea lot of hard work! But, Rachel Frank has pulled it off, all while having an active social life. Is she Superwoman? Or, is she the best weathercaster in New England?