Gary England
Encyclopedia
Gary England is the chief meteorologist for KWTV
Channel 9, the CBS
affiliate in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
. England was possibly the first on-air meteorologist to alert his viewers of a possible tornado
using a commercial Doppler
weather radar
. He is also known for contributing to the invention of the First Warning
map graphic commonly used to show ongoing weather alerts without interrupting regular programming.
. After graduating high school, England joined the U.S. Navy at age 17, where he first began to study weather seriously. He attended the University of Oklahoma
and graduated in 1965 with a mathematics degree with a meteorology option. Gary then spent four years as a consulting meteorologist and oceanographer with A.H. Glenn and Associates in New Orleans.
, an Oklahoma City talk radio
station. England began working at KWTV in the fall of 1972. A few months later, KWTV introduced the first radar system specifically designed for television and during a live cut-in by England on May 24, 1973 for a tornado warning in Canadian County
. Channel 9 viewers saw the radar image of a damaging F4 tornado near Union City
in Canadian County which resulted in extensive damage to that small town. The Union City tornado was also the first documented chase ever on a tornado. The National Severe Storms Laboratory
out of Norman
placed numerous storm chasers around it to capture the life cycle on film, which was also a first.
An original video of England's live cut-in of the Union City tornado in 1973 is often still used today in Channel 9's promos of England and its severe weather coverage.
England is recognized, along with the firm Enterprise Electronics, as initiating development of the first commercial Doppler weather radar. While the National Weather Service
is the only one legally responsible for issuing warnings in the United States
, England is credited with issuing the first televised Doppler weather radar bulletin for a tornado, in March 1982. There is a dispute by some sources, as there was an earlier radar bulletin issued by Gil Whitney of WHIO-TV
in Dayton, Ohio
during the April 3, 1974 Xenia Tornado http://youtube.com/watch?v=kGCi95ZrcHU However, the radar used by WHIO during the Xenia Tornado was a conventional weather radar, not a Dopplerized radar.
In 1990 he helped create First Warning
, a state map which appeared in the corner of the television screen, with counties colored in to indicate storm watches and warnings. In 1991 Gary also helped create Storm Tracker, a computer program that provided the audience with the time of arrival of severe weather. First Warning And Storm Tracker are used nationwide. He also helped create I-News
, a computer program that allows PC
users to receive both severe weather and breaking news alerts on their computer.
's archives) during the opening scene and served as one of three 'weather announcers' in the 1996 movie Twister. He also served as a consultant for the film.
After the 3 May 1999 tornado outbreak, he appeared in over fifty national and international weather specials. In 2007 Gary wrote and recorded part of the sound track for a weather oriented episode of the cable show Saving Grace
. Gary has written several books on Oklahoma weather, including his 1996 autobiography, "Weathering The Storm". A new biography of Gary by Bob Burke was published in December 2006 titled, "Friday Night in the Big Town".
England is a believer in global warming but is a skeptic when it comes to the notion that its cause is totally human. A KWTV promo was featured in a Daily Show
piece regarding global warming and scaring people on June 14, 2007. The piece starts with comments by global warming skeptic and Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe
regarding The Weather Channel's chief meteorologist's statement that the American Meteorological Society
should not certify anyone who does not believe in global warming. Inhofe argued that The Weather Channel needs global warming in order to scare viewers and boost ratings. The Daily Show followed up Inhofe's comments by playing the Gary England KWTV scary promo where a family is running from a massive tornado, cowering in the basement, the family hears England's voice on the television and the mother says to her son (clutched in her hands) "It's OK baby, listen to Gary England, he's going to tell us what's going on". The Daily Show connects England and Inhofe as both being from Oklahoma.
England is interviewed in an episode of Monster Quest
entitled "Unidentified Flying Creatures" where he comments on tornado footage that captured a Rod
flying through the sky. In the interview, he comments on the phenomena without going into any supposition regarding its cause.
KWTV
KWTV-DT, virtual channel 9 , is the CBS-affiliated television station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; it is owned by Griffin Communications of Oklahoma City...
Channel 9, the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
. England was possibly the first on-air meteorologist to alert his viewers of a possible tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
using a commercial Doppler
Pulse-doppler radar
Pulse-Doppler is a 4D radar system capable of detecting both target 3D location as well as measuring radial velocity . It uses the Doppler effect to avoid overloading computers and operators as well as to reduce power consumption...
weather radar
Weather radar
Weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, estimate its type . Modern weather radars are mostly pulse-Doppler radars, capable of detecting the motion of rain droplets in addition to the...
. He is also known for contributing to the invention of the First Warning
First Warning
First Warning is the name of a severe weather warning system made for broadcast television stations in the United States. A weather advisory product based on First Warning, called First Alert, is an automated version of this product, which has come into widespread use by television stations.Both...
map graphic commonly used to show ongoing weather alerts without interrupting regular programming.
Early career
England was born on October 3, 1939, in Seiling, OklahomaSeiling, Oklahoma
Seiling is a city in Dewey County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 860 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Seiling is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
. After graduating high school, England joined the U.S. Navy at age 17, where he first began to study weather seriously. He attended the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
and graduated in 1965 with a mathematics degree with a meteorology option. Gary then spent four years as a consulting meteorologist and oceanographer with A.H. Glenn and Associates in New Orleans.
Broadcasting career
England's first broadcasting job was a short stint at KTOKKTOK
KTOK is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, the station serves the Oklahoma City area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Broadcasting Licenses and features programing from ABC Radio, Premiere Radio Networks and Westwood One...
, an Oklahoma City talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
station. England began working at KWTV in the fall of 1972. A few months later, KWTV introduced the first radar system specifically designed for television and during a live cut-in by England on May 24, 1973 for a tornado warning in Canadian County
Canadian County, Oklahoma
Canadian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010, the population was 115,541. Its county seat is El Reno. Canadian County is also part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area. Canadian County is named for the Canadian River.-Geography:According to the U.S...
. Channel 9 viewers saw the radar image of a damaging F4 tornado near Union City
Union City, Oklahoma
Union City is a town in Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,375 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area. Also home town of Chris Wagnon Union City sports stud all stated in baseball. Signed with division one college bats right...
in Canadian County which resulted in extensive damage to that small town. The Union City tornado was also the first documented chase ever on a tornado. The National Severe Storms Laboratory
National Severe Storms Laboratory
The National Severe Storms Laboratory is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather research laboratory located at the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma....
out of Norman
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
placed numerous storm chasers around it to capture the life cycle on film, which was also a first.
An original video of England's live cut-in of the Union City tornado in 1973 is often still used today in Channel 9's promos of England and its severe weather coverage.
England is recognized, along with the firm Enterprise Electronics, as initiating development of the first commercial Doppler weather radar. While the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
is the only one legally responsible for issuing warnings in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, England is credited with issuing the first televised Doppler weather radar bulletin for a tornado, in March 1982. There is a dispute by some sources, as there was an earlier radar bulletin issued by Gil Whitney of WHIO-TV
WHIO-TV
WHIO-TV, virtual channel 7, is the CBS-affiliated television station licensed to Dayton, Ohio, serving that state's Miami Valley area. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 41 from its transmitter on Germantown Street in western Dayton....
in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
during the April 3, 1974 Xenia Tornado http://youtube.com/watch?v=kGCi95ZrcHU However, the radar used by WHIO during the Xenia Tornado was a conventional weather radar, not a Dopplerized radar.
In 1990 he helped create First Warning
First Warning
First Warning is the name of a severe weather warning system made for broadcast television stations in the United States. A weather advisory product based on First Warning, called First Alert, is an automated version of this product, which has come into widespread use by television stations.Both...
, a state map which appeared in the corner of the television screen, with counties colored in to indicate storm watches and warnings. In 1991 Gary also helped create Storm Tracker, a computer program that provided the audience with the time of arrival of severe weather. First Warning And Storm Tracker are used nationwide. He also helped create I-News
I-News
i-News is the flagship late night news program of the Philippine television network Net 25, anchored by Alma Angeles. It is an English version and a spin-off of i-Balita, and replaces Net 25 World Report....
, a computer program that allows PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
users to receive both severe weather and breaking news alerts on their computer.
Other work
England had a cameo appearance (via KWTVKWTV
KWTV-DT, virtual channel 9 , is the CBS-affiliated television station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; it is owned by Griffin Communications of Oklahoma City...
's archives) during the opening scene and served as one of three 'weather announcers' in the 1996 movie Twister. He also served as a consultant for the film.
After the 3 May 1999 tornado outbreak, he appeared in over fifty national and international weather specials. In 2007 Gary wrote and recorded part of the sound track for a weather oriented episode of the cable show Saving Grace
Saving Grace (TV series)
Saving Grace is an American television crime drama series which premiered on TNT on July 23, 2007 and ran until June 21, 2010. The show stars Academy Award-winner Holly Hunter in her first television series, as well as Leon Rippy, Kenny Johnson, Laura San Giacomo, Bailey Chase, Bokeem Woodbine,...
. Gary has written several books on Oklahoma weather, including his 1996 autobiography, "Weathering The Storm". A new biography of Gary by Bob Burke was published in December 2006 titled, "Friday Night in the Big Town".
England is a believer in global warming but is a skeptic when it comes to the notion that its cause is totally human. A KWTV promo was featured in a Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
piece regarding global warming and scaring people on June 14, 2007. The piece starts with comments by global warming skeptic and Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe
Jim Inhofe
James Mountain "Jim" Inhofe is the senior Senator from Oklahoma and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the Senate in 1994, he is the ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and was its chairman from 2003 to 2007. Inhofe served eight...
regarding The Weather Channel's chief meteorologist's statement that the American Meteorological Society
American Meteorological Society
The American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
should not certify anyone who does not believe in global warming. Inhofe argued that The Weather Channel needs global warming in order to scare viewers and boost ratings. The Daily Show followed up Inhofe's comments by playing the Gary England KWTV scary promo where a family is running from a massive tornado, cowering in the basement, the family hears England's voice on the television and the mother says to her son (clutched in her hands) "It's OK baby, listen to Gary England, he's going to tell us what's going on". The Daily Show connects England and Inhofe as both being from Oklahoma.
England is interviewed in an episode of Monster Quest
Monster Quest
MonsterQuest is an American television series that originally aired from October 31, 2007 to March 24, 2010 on the History channel...
entitled "Unidentified Flying Creatures" where he comments on tornado footage that captured a Rod
Rod (cryptozoology)
In cryptozoology, ufology, and outdoor photography, rods are elongated artifacts produced by cameras that inadvertently capture several of a flying insect's wingbeats...
flying through the sky. In the interview, he comments on the phenomena without going into any supposition regarding its cause.
