Chris Hohmann — Telling People the Future
January 2010
According to chief meteorologist Chris Hohmann, 50, of ABC11 Eyewitness News, "Many times weather is the driving force of a newscast, because it is the one thing that universally affects people."
Hohmann has forecasted and covered many of the biggest weather events in North Carolina. Reflecting on the Snowstorm of 2000, which dumped 20.3 inches of snow in the Triangle in 24 hours, Hohmann said, "I remember doing the weather that January night, and we called for 4, maybe 5 inches of snow. That was going to be pushing it, we thought.
"I left that evening, and I had to be back at the station early the next morning, so another meteorologist came in, and I went to a hotel. I woke up at 1am, and outside the window, the snow was blowing sideways with lightning flashes all around. There was about 8 inches of snow on the ground, and I knew it was not going to be a good day. None of the forecast models had predicted the 20+ inches of snow that were headed our way".
That scenario is less likely today. "With leading technology, and the capability to detect severe weather accurately we have tools that are second to none. Especially when it comes to tornadoes, detection is so much better with our million watt Doppler radar," Hohmann said. "The ability to warn people is far superior to what it was 15 years ago. At the station, we capitalize on that."
Chris at the beach with wife Beth & daughter Ashley.
Hohmann has lived in the Triangle for almost 20 years. He joined ABC11 in 1991, and after presenting the weekend weather for about two and a half years, he moved to the morning show, where he got up early and got off early every day for 14 years. He was named Chief Meteorologist in 2007 and now does the weather at different spots from 5 to 11pm.
For the first few years Hohmann lived in the Triangle, there were no major storms. Then Hurricane Fran hit in September 1996. "That was the first really big weather event of high impact that I covered," Hohmann said. "We were doing cut-ins after the 11 o’clock news, and I would come on every hour with an update. Viewers have different expectations now, we had a tropical storm last year which was minor in comparison to Fran, but we were on the air all night."
Hohmann enjoys visits with students at local schools about once a week and volunteers at his daughter’s school whenever possible. "The kids are so enthusiastic," he said. "It’s amazing to hear what they know about weather and safety when I ask, ‘What would you do if a tornado struck?’"
He is no stranger to the excitement that kids experience when it comes to the weather. Hohmann knew when he was in 8th grade that he wanted to be a meteorologist. "I was fascinated by the change in the weather and how it affected everybody. I liked the idea of a job to tell people the future."
In addition to his work with students, Hohmann enjoys being involved in the community through a variety of different organizations and events like the Triangle Business Journal "Green Awards". Hohmann MC’d the October event and helped to recognize the companies in our region committed to environmentally sustainable business.
Between his work in the community and 30 years of experience as a meteorologist, Hohmann knows that, at the end of the day, accurately predicting the weather helps keep residents in central North Carolina safe.