Today, February 5, is National Weatherman’s Day (also known as National Weatherperson’s Day, because this is 2014). The date was chosen to commemorate the birth of John Jeffries, one of America’s first weather observers. So today, 270 years after Jeffries’ birth, we thought we’d take this opportunity to round up some of our favorite viral forecast moments, from a daring weatherman broadcasting from a stunt plane to a bold cat interrupting a report.
1. The rapping weatherman
Everybody knows that weather forecasts are so much more exciting when they come in hip hop form. Idaho-based weatherman Nick Kosir first began cultivating his personal brand as The Rapping Weatherman in 2009, and he’s still going strong today.
Bonus: The Rapping Weatherman also tweets weather-related rap lyrics:
2. The surprise mid-forecast proposal
In 2011, we were treated to an awkward surprise wedding proposal in the middle of a live weather broadcast. Jenna Lee Thomas, a forecaster in Augusta, Georgia, took a break from telling viewers about the weather when her tuxedo-clad boyfriend came out of nowhere to pop the question. The video has since racked up more than a million views.
3. The weatherman who passed out in a stunt plane
In 2013, Australian meteorologist Grant Denyer agreed to deliver a live report from a stunt plane, which was obviously awesome, but caused Denyer to pass out. About two minutes into the forecast, his head tilts to the side as he loses consciousness. But don’t worry: he was fine, and later took to Twitter to joke about the incident.
4. The weatherman who kneed a heckler in the groin
The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore became an instant viral sensation this year when he shut down a would-be heckler with a swift knee to the groin. As this Vine showcases, he really doesn’t miss a beat and continues, unfazed, with his live report from Charleston, South Carolina.
5. The fake weather report that predicted a Godzilla attack
When large swaths of the U.S. were facing terrible, horrible, no good, very bad weather in the summer of 2012, Virginia meteorologist Aaron Justus decided to make it clear that things still could have been way worse. In this parody forecast, he predicted volcanic eruptions across Virginia and even a visit from Godzilla.
6. The cat who interrupted a live weather report
An interloping feline somehow made his way into a Univision studio in 2012, interrupting meteorologist Eduardo Rodriguez in the middle of his report. Rodriguez manages to keep calm and carry on while his crew just explodes with giggles.
7. The kid weatherman
Nine-year-old William Hallman became something of an Internet sensation in 2013 with his adorable forecast for a North Dakota NBC affiliate. The video got more than a million views, and William even ended up appearing on the Today show, joining Al Roker to deliver that day’s weather.
8. The national weatherman who slipped on air
Back in 2008, Weather Channel meteorologist Mike Seidel slipped and fell while reporting for MSNBC. The veteran weatherman managed to pick himself up, dust himself off and then use his own misfortune as an example of what not to do when braving wintry conditions.
9. The weatherman who learned not to wear a green tie
In 2007, one Milwaukee-area meteorologist learned the hard way that if you’re going to be standing in front of a green screen, it’s best not to wear anything green. Nearly a minute and a half into his report, the weatherman noticed that he was partially transparent. His crew proceeds to give him a hard time, but in the end, everyone enjoyed a good laugh about it.
10. The shirtless jogger in a horse mask
During 2012’s Hurricane Sandy, a weather forecaster in Washington, D.C. spotted a shirtless jogger sporting a horse mask galloping past her crew, and the Internet immediately fell in love.
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