Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
32 dead, 27 girls at camp missing after catastrophic flooding in Texas. Read the latest Chevron right
Tropical Storm Chantal forms in Atlantic before landfall in South Carolina. Get details Chevron right

Columbus, OH

91°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

91°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Newsletters

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars
Air Quality Alert

News / Weather News

Meteorologists explain why we should ditch the outdated term 'weather girl'

By Ashley Williams, AccuWeather staff writer

Copied

Many scientists who are serious about weather forecasting have been vocal about doing away with the outdated term, “weather girl.” AccuWeather's broadcast meteorologists weigh in on the discussion.

Whether tuning into AccuWeather or watching the forecast on your local news station, chances are that your favorite “weather girl” would much rather be referred to by her hard-earned title: meteorologist.

“When I hear the term ‘weather girl,’ it’s kind of like people don’t know exactly what you went through to get your education,” said AccuWeather Broadcast Meteorologist Brittany Boyer.

“It knocks on the credibility that you have as a meteorologist,” she added.

The term dates back to the 1950s, when attractive women weathercasters were hired by television station managers in an attempt to boost struggling ratings.

Often having no scientific background, weather girls cheerfully presented the forecasts by using gimmicks, including costumes such as bathing suits.

Brittany Boyer

Today, educated scientists who are passionate about predicting the weather continue to fight against the use of the outdated term, which some feel undermines the immense effort that went into obtaining their meteorological credentials.

A number of female broadcast meteorologists, including ABC News Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee, have been vocal about doing away with “weather girl.”

“These aren’t just women who are hired to stand there and point and smile at a map; we actually do know what we’re talking about,” said AccuWeather Broadcast Meteorologist Julia Weiden.

However, most meteorologists seem to agree that people generally don’t mean any harm by using the term.

“A lot of times, people are very genuine when they say ‘weather girl,’ but there are times when it can be used [in] a negative connotation,” said AccuWeather Broadcast Meteorologist Melissa Constanzer.

“‘Girl’ obviously means a little bit younger than a woman, so maybe not as mature, maybe not as smart,” she said.

When it comes to smarts, the vast majority of women who present on-air weather forecasts are more than qualified, having undertaken rigorous studies to obtain their degrees.

“My degrees are in meteorology, math and geographical information sciences,” said AccuWeather Broadcast Meteorologist Laura Velasquez, who is approaching her 11th year of working in broadcasting and meteorology.

“I really like the science-y, math-y, geeky part of my job, but I’m also very interested in the societal impacts of weather and [how it affects people’s lives],” she said.

Meteorologists have said that they are working to push away the perception of the stereotypical “weather girl” in hopes of influencing future generations of female scientists.

Inspiring future scientists

These educated scientists serve as role models to young girls interested in pursuing eventual careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

There’s been a shortage of women in STEM fields, which have long been male-dominated.

Girlstart, a Texas-based organization that strives to encourage young girls to consider STEM fields with innovative education programs, implemented the month-long virtual program DeSTEMber to continue building STEM awareness for children and their families.

“We were thinking about ways we engage girls outside of school time, and one of the biggest challenges is keeping kids [involved in] STEM during their school breaks,” said Girlstart Deputy Director Julie Shannan.

“That’s how DeSTEMber was born,” she said. “It’s 31 days of STEM for the whole family, and [we] make it really accessible for families by using a lot of household, readily available items.”

RELATED:

Why the origin of cold air is key to how extreme temperatures get in winter

Chikage Windler, CBS Austin’s chief meteorologist, regularly volunteers with Girlstart in hopes of encouraging girls to explore the wide variety of STEM options that are available to them.

“When I was growing up, there wasn’t something that I had access to that was the equivalent to Girlstart,” said Windler.

“They’re starting girls at a very young age, showing [them] that it’s fun, it’s cool, it’s okay to be smart, it’s okay to be geeky, it’s okay to love science and math,” she added.

Windler is one of only 8 percent of female chief meteorologists on television in the United States, according to a study conducted by broadcast meteorologist Alexandra Cranford.

The study also found that women comprise just 29 percent of television weathercaster roles.

“More and more women are becoming meteorologists, but because it was always a male-dominated field, I think it’s going to take some time before there’s an equal number of male and female chief meteorologists,” Windler said.

Meteorologists agree that a key part of bridging the gap is introducing more girls and women to STEM.

“We need more young girls to gain interest in STEM majors, and hopefully, with having female role models on TV, more girls and women will get interested in meteorology,” Boyer said.

Report a Typo

Weather News

Weather News

32 dead in Texas, 27 girls at Camp Mystic missing in flooding

Jul. 5, 2025
video

Rescuers save person clinging to an electric pole amid Texas floods

Jul. 4, 2025
Weather News

Record sargassum seaweed piles up on Caribbean islands, Gulf

Jul. 2, 2025
Weather News

Alabama teen in ICU after lightning strike hits boat, causing burns an...

Jul. 2, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Weather News

32 dead in Texas, 27 girls at Camp Mystic missing in flooding

40 minutes ago

Hurricane

Chantal to make landfall in South Carolina Sunday morning

6 hours ago

Severe Weather

Severe weather to rumble in the central US through the holiday weekend

2 hours ago

Severe Weather

Storms kill 3 in New Jersey, knock out power across Northeast

1 day ago

Weather Forecasts

Heat, humidity return to the East

3 hours ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Weather News

Wildfires are tearing through a popular tourist hotspot in Greece

1 day ago

Weather News

‘Shark Whisperer’ swims its way into our shark obsession

23 hours ago

Travel

Fourth of July gas hasn’t been this cheap since 2021

4 days ago

Weather News

What makes fireworks burst with vibrant colors?

23 hours ago

Health

There is no safe amount of processed meat to eat, new research shows

2 days ago

AccuWeather Weather News Meteorologists explain why we should ditch the outdated term 'weather girl'
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...