Close calls with the weather are a thing that most Minnesotans have experienced.  In a state that plays host to such weather anomalies as blizzards, tornadoes and hail, it is nearly impossible for native Minnesotans to be inexperienced with harsh weather conditions.  Yet these conditions do not often inspire in people a passion for weather and the practice of meteorology, as they did in Chris Shaffer.

A member of the American Meteorological Society(AMS) and recipient of the AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) designation, Chris Shaffer has taken his passion for the weather to television.  Though it took a great deal of patience and perseverance, Shaffer is currently working his dream job at WCCO as chief meteorologist.

Shaffer’s choice to pursue meteorology was influenced by his childhood experiences with the weather.

“I loved the weather.  I’ve always loved the weather.  There were three experiences I had as a kid that created this passion.  One happened long before I was born.  My grandma always used to tell me about her brother Wilbur.  Wilbur had chosen a bad day to be out in the fields on a tractor and was struck by lightning.  I was fascinated by what could cause weather to strike one man on one tractor in one field, so I began to research these things,” said Shaffer.

His second experience was a close interaction with the strength of Minnesota weather.

“Going to that same grandmother’s house for Christmas one year,  we got about halfway there and when the snow started coming down hard.  It got to the point where we couldn’t drive anymore so my brother and I got out in front of the car and directed our dad to where the road was.  It was a blizzard and  it was terrible.  We stopped in the next town but the motel there was all booked, so we had to spend the night sleeping in a church.  So naturally the next day I was wondering about how the snow was deep in certain places and not others, so I read up on that,” explained Shaffer.

The third experience that pushed Shaffer to study meteorology was a dangerous experience he had with a tornado.

“Probably the most glamorous experience was when I saw my first tornado.  I was driving with my mom and brother and we were chased by a tornado in our car.  I was fascinated by the thing that could make my mom scream like a little girl. So I researched that too and continued to be interested in the weather,” said Shaffer.

Shaffer took this interest with him to college, where he pursued a degree in meteorology and broadcast communication.  Though he pursued jobs at radio stations, Shaffer’s main passion remained meteorology.

“I call it my career derailment when I was in college.  I’ve always loved radio, and one of my internships was down at a radio station.  It was cool, I was given free cds, and I got to meet all of these big artists.  I got to meet the New Kids on the Block when they were still kids.  I went on to work at several different radio stations.  This was a fun job and I was really enjoying it, but this whole time I still wanted to do weather.  I kept sending stuff to the news stations and they kept saying I looked too much like a kid.  They didn’t want to put someone who looked so young on the air,” commented Shaffer.

Shaffer did eventually succeed in making his way to television, though this was complicated by his other jobs and the time he had to spend away from his family

“An opportunity came up when a lady on the news was pregnant.  I nailed the audition and got the gig filling in for her. I worked for three months and then I must have done something right, because they kept me on staff.  I ended up working there for five years, but at the same time I was still working at the radio stations.  I had a few kids along the way. There was a lot of stuff going on.  I had to make a family choice so I quit my TV job so I could spend more time at home,” said Shaffer.

He also commented on the importance of his family in that situation, saying, “The thing I’m most proud of is marrying a lovely lady and having three daughters along the way.  I can’t imagine life without my wife and three daughters.  I enjoy my career, I really do, but given a choice I would love to spend all of my time with my wife and daughters, they are the most important thing.”

A few years later Shaffer tried out for a full time television job and got the part, working mornings for two years until he was named Chief Meteorologist.  He has finally secured his dream job and is known for his hope to retire at WCCO.  Shaffer has grown from the young Stillwater kid hearing stories about lightning strikes into a prominent community member who helps to keep Minnesotans safe from and knowledgeable about their state’s sporadic weather.