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Recent News from the Weather CenterKDKA-TV’s Jeff Verszyla Set for Hall of FameTuesday, January 29, 2008KDKA-TV’s Jeff Verszyla set for Hall of FameWritten by Staff reports Tuesday, 29 January 2008 PUNXSUTAWNEY -- The second inductee into the Meteorologist Hall of Fame is a familiar face on TVs across the region. Jeff Verszyla, chief meteorologist for KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, will be inducted into the Hall at 2 p.m. Saturday --Groundhog Day -- at the Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center. He will also be the guest speaker at the annual Groundhog Banquet at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Punxsutawney Area High School. Joining the KDKA-TV weather team in April 1996, Verszyla delivers his forecasts weeknights on KDKA-TV News at 4, 5, 6 and 11 p.m. and at 10 p.m. on Pittsburgh’s CW. “My job is to inform the people of my hometown about the potential impact of a weather situation, so they can take the necessary steps to protect their property and, more importantly, their lives,” he said about his job and his respect for weather. A native of Sewickley, Verszyla attended Quigley High School in Baden and graduated as an Alden Scholar from Allegheny College in Meadville with a degree in broadcast communications and English. He earned his degree in meteorology from Mississippi State University. In Pittsburgh, Verszyla began his broadcasting career on the radio at WVTY-FM (Variety 96) and WRRK-FM (Magic 97) where he was an on-air personality and morning show producer. He came to KDKA-TV from KRGV-TV in Weslaco, Texas, where he forecast the weather for the morning and noon broadcasts. While in Texas, Verszyla received great on-the-job severe weather training. He covered numerous hurricanes and also chased countless “Texas-sized” super cells every spring. Verszyla is a member of the American Meteorological Society, the National Weather Association and the International Association of Broadcast Meteorologists. In addition, he serves as a trained weather-spotter for the Pittsburgh office of the National Weather Service. When he’s not watching the sky or tracking the next approaching storm system, Verszyla can be found talking about it with area elementary students. Every year, the Weather Classroom hits the road to educate kids about some of the basics of weather and forecasting. Outside of work, Verszyla enjoys skiing during the winter and softball during the summer. And any time of year, he likes to head below sea level for scuba diving with sharks. Verszyla, his wife Shelly and their son Alexander live in the Wexford area. The first inductee into the Meteorologist Hall of Fame was Dr. Joel Myers, founder of AccuWeather in State College |