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Arkansas is well known for its beauty, the great outdoors and the Razorbacks. It’s also known for unpredictable weather. From tornado season in the spring to steamy summers, beautiful falls, and the occasional ice or snowstorm, Arkansas weather keeps Arkansans on their toes. Arkansas also has some incredible TV meteorologists who work hard to inform us of severe weather events and the perfect time to head outdoors. Their faces are likely familiar to those living in the local broadcast area, and seeing them on TV each day feels like seeing a friend—one who also happens to know everything there is to know about the weather in Arkansas. Keep reading to learn about a few of Arkansas’s talented TV meteorologists.
Photo Courtesy of KAIT 8.
Aaron Castleberry – KAIT – Jonesboro
Aaron Castleberry is an Arkansan through and through. He grew up in Des Arc, Arkansas, before heading to Mississippi State University, where he studied geoscience and graduated with a concentration in broadcast meteorology. In Mississippi, he chased tornados in Dixie Alley. This area covers southern Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, and North and South Carolina. The severe storms in Dixie Alley tend to be long-track storms threatening a large segment of the population in the South. After graduation, Castleberry returned home to Arkansas and interned briefly at KARK in Little Rock before joining KAIT in Jonesboro as a producer. He also worked as a digital meteorologist, producing weather media for KAIT’s social platforms. In 2020, he stepped into broadcasting again and, in 2022, became KAIT’s morning meteorologist. You can keep up with Aaron Castleberry on his Facebook page.
Barry Brandt – KATV – Little Rock
Barry Brandt is a weather stalwart for KATV 7 in Little Rock. Brandt started his meteorological training in Kansas, where we grew up in Wathena before attending the University of Kansas. He studied atmospheric science, which encompasses weather analysis, weather predictability, and circulation in the atmosphere. Brandt graduated in 1986 and began forecasting in St. Joseph, Missouri. He moved to Little Rock in 1987 and has called Arkansas home ever since. Since 1997, Brandt has been the Chief Meteorologist at KATV 7. In his long career, he’s gathered both awards and certifications. As a longtime member of the American Meteorological Society (AMS), he won the AMS Television Seal of Approval in 1990, and twenty years later, he was named an AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist. Brandt won the Associated Press Best Weathercast Award in 2004 and 2008. He writes frequent blogs for KATV Weather. You can keep up with Barry Brandt’s most recent weather forecasts and weather-related news by following him on Facebook and X (@KATVBarry).
Broadway Bridge in North Little Rock covered in snow. Photo courtesy of Arkansas Department of Heritage, Parks and Tourism.
Photo Courtesy of Carmen Rose.
Carmen Rose – Fox 16 – Little Rock
Carmen Rose is the Chief Meteorologist for Fox 16 News in Little Rock. She grew up in nearby Memphis but headed north to Michigan State University to study Earth science and journalism. While a student, Rose worked on several interesting projects, including the now-defunct Mars One Mission, which aimed to send colonists to Mars, as well as the Living History Project. After earning her degree, Rose worked as a meteorologist in Columbus, Georgia, before snagging the Chief Meteorologist position in Eugene, Oregon. She headed south to Arkansas in 2020 and joined the KARK/Fox 16 Storm Team. In 2022, Rose was named Chief Meteorologist. She is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist, and you can catch her forecasts every weekday evening on Fox 16. Follow Carmen Rose’s forecasts on her Facebook page.
A storm moves in over the Arkansas River. Photo by Oakley Originals via Flickr.
Dan Skoff – KNWA – Fayetteville
Dan Skoff has been Northwest Arkansas’s go-to weatherman since he joined KNWA in 2006 as the Chief Meteorologist. Skoff decided he wanted to pursue meteorology at age eight after a tornado hit near his home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He chose to attend the University of Oklahoma, renowned for its meteorology school. Skoff then worked for a network in Oklahoma City as a professional media storm tracker before heading to Texas to be a meteorologist. After cutting his teeth in Tornado Alley, he moved to Arkansas, first at KARK in Little Rock before arriving in Northwest Arkansas. Skoff is a storm chaser at heart and has personally seen over 90 tornadoes. Skoff has the AMS Television Seal of Approval and is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM), two respected qualifications in the field of meteorology. Keep up with Dan Skoff’s forecasts on KNWA every weeknight, or find them on Facebook.
Photo Courtesy of Matt Standridge
Matt Standridge – KFSM – Fort Smith
Matt Standridge is the Chief Meteorologist at KFSM, serving Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas. Standridge has lived all over the United States, and travel has deepened his appreciation for all kinds of weather. When living in New York at age 7, he experienced over 200 inches of snowfall. He also found Indiana’s and Chicago’s more severe weather fascinating. Standridge attended Valparaiso University and earned his degree in meteorology and digital media. While still in college, he began working as a weekend meteorologist in South Bend, Indiana. Standridge took his first full-time meteorologist position in Fayetteville for KFSM in 2017. He briefly moved to Cleveland to forecast for an affiliate network before returning to Arkansas in 2021 and taking the meteorologist position at KFSM. Standridge is also an adventurer and aviation aficionado. He hosted the program “Adventure Arkansas” for three years to highlight the most beautiful locations across the state. Keep up with Matt Standridge on his Facebook page or his TikTok account @weathermanmatt.
Skot Covert and his rescue dogs. Photo courtesy of Skot Covert.
Skot Covert – THV11 – Little Rock
Skot Covert grew up in Ozark, Arkansas, and as a child, he was terrified of the severe thunderstorms that rolled through the state. Eventually, he turned that fear into curiosity and a passion for the weather as he pursued a degree in emergency administration and management at Arkansas Tech University and another in broadcast meteorology from Mississippi State University. Covert’s background is as interesting as it is varied. He has worked in digital media and communications and served as the Chief of Staff/Deputy Auditor for Arkansas State Auditor Andrea Long. In 2020, Covert joined THV11 full-time, where he covers all kinds of weather. Covert also hosts THV11’s “Eat It Up” and “Outdoor Report.” He has won three Mid-America Emmys for his reporting. Covert is also active in the community volunteering for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and serving as a foster for dogs. Follow Skot Covert on his Facebook page, Instagram account or on X (@SkotWx) for the latest weather updates in Arkansas.
Of course, this isn’t an extensive list of meteorologists, and Arkansas is lucky to have many working together to keep the Natural State weatherwise and ready for the day, no matter what the weather brings.
Header Photo of the Arkansas Capitol Building is courtesy of the Arkansas Department of Heritage, Parks and Tourism.
Kimberly S. Mitchell loves journeys, real or imagined. She has hiked the Inca Trail, walked into Panama on a rickety wooden bridge and once missed the last train of the night in Paris and walked several miles home (with friends). She believes magic can be found in life and books, loves to watch the stars appear, and still dreams of backpacking the world. Now she writes adventures to send her characters on journeys, too. Pen & Quin: International Agents of Intrigue - The Mystery of the Painted Book is her debut novel. Find out more at KSMitchell.com.
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