Under hundreds of spotlights and in front of countless cameras and dozens of directors is where Chris Shaffer wanted to be since he was a middle schooler. He wanted the thrill of being on live television. He wanted his chance to bask in the heat of the lights. He had to persevere through years of rejections, but finally he has reached center stage, at least for the few minutes every night that the weather airs on WCCO.

Chris wanted to be a meteorologist since he was in ninth grade, attending Oakland Junior High. His loves stemmed from wild experiences when he was child. Since then he has moved on to becoming the Chief Meteorologist at WCCO and has a nine-hour work day. Despite long hours, he loves his job, and would not want to do anything else.

Aspirations

Chris’ fascination with weather started early in his childhood. First, his grandfather was struck by lightning while starting their tractor. That terrified his grandmother. Next, he and his family were chased by a tornado, urgently driving through town, attempting to get to safety. Finally, while driving to his grandparents’ house, his family was caught in a blizzard. They couldn’t see the road and were forced to pull over, taking cover in a church.

“I remember sleeping on a church pew. Not the first time I’ve done that by the way,” Chris said. “All the people in the town brought hotdishes because they felt so bad for us, trapped in a church.”

All of these events seemed to line up for Chris. Suddenly he became infatuated with weather. He delved into his books during the summer before tenth grade, only to carry his love of weather for the rest of his life.

“I remember telling my friends when I got to high school, right here in Stillwater, that one day I’m going to be doing the weather and I’m going to be on TV,” Chris said.

Inspirations

While attending Stillwater Area High School, Chris was a typical, procrastinating student, and his love of meteorology was not as prevalent at the time. Eventually, Chris was tasked with creating a portfolio for a job he would like once he graduated. He wrote cover letters and applications, and had to research a professional in that field. He chose Paul Douglas. Douglas, at the time, was the Chief Meteorologist at WCCO, and Chris studied him and his work incredibly closely. After staying through a weather casting with Douglas, Chris put his studies on track, ready to become a meteorologist as successful as Douglas.

“I was convinced, this is the career path I am going to take. The plan was now in place,” Chris said.

Chris graduated high school and eventually attended the University of Utah. He double majored in Broadcast Journalism and Meteorology. Chris applied for countless interviews with dozens of news companies. He would receive a rejection and move onto another application, where he would receive another rejection.

“It took me eight years. Eight years until I got an opportunity to be on television,” Chris said. “I kept looking. Positivity is the best thing. All those times I didn’t get a job, sometimes I got a call back, sometimes I got a letter. You fail over and over and over again, and you think ‘Maybe this isn’t for me.’”

Chris was lucky to have had his wife by his side throughout all of the rejections. Though he had a part-time gig at KMSP for many months, he wanted more. His wife pushed him to apply for a job at WCCO when she heard about it, and Chris was hesitant. Still, she egged him on, wanting the best for him. Eventually he applied.

“That girl is a rock. She’s tough as a rock. She’s very motivating to me, she’s wonderful. She’s helped me through my career,” Chris said.

Coincidentally, one of Chris’ follow-up interviews at WCCO was with Paul Douglas, the man who originally inspired Chris to be a meteorologist. Douglas did not remember Chris but hired him anyway, claiming there was “something about him.”

“I applied, like I always do. I got a callback on that one. I did interviews with about six different people,” Chris said. “Here it was, the job offer. With the guy who inspired me all those years ago.”

Douglas was let go a few years later, and Chris was hired in his place. After a handful of years as the Chief Meteorologist for WCCO, Chris, according Stillwater Area Public Schools, “won the prestigious UpperMidwest Regional Emmy Award for Best Weather Anchor and is an active member of the American Meteorological Society.”

“I won some awards. I won an Emmy. It’s cool, it’s not why I do it. It’s nice to work hard at what you do, and you won that award because of that,” Chris said.

The good, the bad, and the ugly

Chris’ passion is weather. He had loved it since he was a kid, and now he adores his job. Despite this, there are still a number of things he does not enjoy, for example, missing his children’s events, as family will always come first for him.

“I have three girls. God help me. I have a girl dog. I have a girl guinea pig. I have a girl fish. How do they know it’s a girl?” Chris pondered. “I miss pretty much all of my kids’ soccer and basketball games, stuff like that. I will always remember them pushing me to focus.”

Another downfall of Chris’ job, he said, is the absurd amount of makeup he wears.

“If you put a lot of light on people suddenly you become very shiny,” Chris said. “I use an airbrush gun. I can’t believe I’m talking about this. I don’t wear lipstick. Do not write that in your article. I simply put on a foundation and powder.”

Despite missing many of his kids’ games, he still loves to come back to weather. It’s the thrill of being in front of camera lenses that he loves.

“It’s not nerves when I go on now. It’s an energy. You know people are watching. If you sneeze, everyone laughs. It’s not just one person,” Chris said. “It’s cool to be on TV. It’s really fun.”

There was a point in Chris’ career where he was faced with a choice between working seven days per week and spending very little time with his family, or quitting his extra jobs to spend more time with his family, even though he would not be making as much money. Chris ultimately chose to quit his extra jobs, because for him, it’s all about family. Now, after moving on from working three jobs per week, hosts WCCO’s nightly weather segments, and has not second guessed his decision to choose family over work.

“I chose family over career, knowing I may never be on television again. I know I made the right decision,” Chris said. “Every day is different.”