Female meteorologist ‘blown away’ by response to her trailblazing moment
Elizabeth Leitman made history with 15 minutes left to go in her shift on Feb. 15. She celebrated the historical moment on social media, sharing what her 13-year-old self would do if she knew this would happen.
This month, Elizabeth Leitman became the first woman to ever issue a severe thunderstorm watch.
“Y’all… 13-year-old me is crying. If you told her one day this moment would happen, she wouldn’t believe you," Elizabeth Leitman, a meteorologist at the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), wrote in a heart-filled message on Twitter that acknowledged a historical moment she had just accomplished.
On Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, with 15 minutes left in her shift for the day, Leitman became the first woman ever to issue a severe thunderstorm watch for the National Weather Service (NWS) SPC.
But the story doesn't end there. After Leitman posted the historical moment on social media, she was "blown away" by the response her messages received.
While the majority of responses included congratulations, several people were surprised it took so long for a female to issue a watch.
"I'm shocked it's taken till 2023 for such a milestone, but I am very happy it's been reached now," one Twitter user wrote.
Leitman, who has been a mesoscale outlook forecaster since 2019, explained to AccuWeather that meteorology has been historically a "male-dominated field," but more women than ever have entered the field over the past decade.
Different from Leitman's position as a mesoscale outlook forecaster, lead forecasters at the SPC are the ones to issue watches for severe thunderstorms or tornadoes across the entire country.
"It's a very highly skilled group of individuals for sure," Leitman told AccuWeather in an interview.
Leitman, who has been a mesoscale outlook forecaster since 2019, was assigned to cross-train as a lead forecaster for the first time last week, and she knew the weather was in favor of a potential watch.
"We already had a severe risk area in our convective outlook for that day, so I knew ahead of time that it was possible that I would be issuing my first watch," Leitman said. "It was very exciting, a little nerve-wracking, [I] didn't sleep a whole lot the night before, you know, just the excitement and anticipation leading into the day."
Watches are different from warnings, as they notify people that conditions are favorable in the area defined for severe thunderstorms or tornado development. A warning means danger is imminent, a severe thunderstorm or a tornado is impacting the warned area, and people should seek shelter immediately. The SPC aims to offer as much as a two-hour notice to the public before storms erupt.
Since the SPC's lead forecaster position doesn't see many vacancies, it's taken a while for a female to have a shot at it.
"There's five people in charge of issuing watches for the entire country, and people tend to stay in those positions for a really long time. Most of our lead forecasters stay in that position anywhere from 10 to 25 or more years," said Leitman. "There's been around 36 lead forecasters at the SPC and its former iterations over the last 60-ish years. It's a very limited pool of people, and the opportunities are also limited."
Elizabeth Leitman, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service (NWS) Storm Prediction Center, during her first lead meteorologist training shift on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. (Elizabeth Leitman)
Last week, once Leitman got into the groove of forecasting the weather, pulling up all the data and assessing the risk for the day ahead, she felt more comfortable.
As the afternoon came, Leitman noticed an area where severe thunderstorm development would be likely. After a conference call with her colleagues with local NWS forecasters in the southern Oklahoma and northern Texas areas, Leitman drew up her first watch.
Elizabeth Leitman's first severe thunderstorm watch was issued on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. (Storm Prediction Center)
"Once everybody's in agreement, we basically draw up the watch text and hit the send button, and that's when everyone is alert on their phones or TV or radio," Leitman said.
At 3:45 p.m., Leitman threw her hands up in excitement after she hit the send button on the watch and made history as the first female meteorologist ever to issue a severe thunderstorm watch from the SPC.
During the springtime severe weather season, Leitman will likely have the opportunity to issue her first tornado watch, which will mark history again, as she would be the first female to issue a tornado watch for the SPC.
Elizabeth Leitman, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service (NWS) Storm Prediction Center, throws her hands up in excitement after issuing her first severe thunderstorm watch on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. (Elizabeth Leitman)
Leitman's achievements will be looked at by aspiring females in meteorology and STEM across the globe.
"Your accomplishments help create a better world for my daughter as she grows up. #trailblazer," one Twitter user wrote.
Leitman credits her success to being "very determined" and also recognized the NWS, which she said has been an "incredibly supportive organization."
"Believe in yourself, and don't let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do," Leitman wants to tell females starting out in this field. "You know what you're capable of, and if there's something that you want, you can do it. There are other women here who will support you along the way."
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Report a Typo
