Q and A with Maine Meteorologist Mike Slifer

“I am a meteorologist at NEWS CENTER Maine, forecasting for the state of Maine. I have had an interest in weather since I was young. One of my life goals was to become a meteorologist, and here we are! Most of my hobbies revolve around being outside and depend on good weather, so even when I’m not at work, I’ve got my eye on what’s going on.”

1. What was your most memorable weather event?

My most memorable weather event was the Halloween Nor’easter of 2011. It was the first time that I was old enough to comprehend just how damaging the weather could be in my local community. It also solidified my interest in meteorology and helped me make my decision on what I wanted to study in college. I wanted to understand the factors that led to heavy snowfall in October. Losing power for a long stretch of days with cold weather is not good!

2. What is your favourite and least favourite type of weather?

My favorite is snow, and big snow at that. My least favorite is hot, humid conditions.

3. If you weren’t a meteorologist what would you most like to be?

Probably something that involves cars, I’ve always been interested in them. Could be anything from a mechanic to something involved in the corporate world of cars.

4. From a purely meteorological point of view, where would you most like to live?

New England. We get four distinct seasons and there’s plenty of snow to go around. The micro-climates due to the mountains and the coastline make it even more interesting!

5. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram with the handle @mikesliferwx. I do weather photography as well as forecasting. Check out this picture of an undercast sunrise in the New River Gorge in West Virginia!