Meteorologist Nick Stewart
Forecaster / Producer / Reporter / Graphic Designer / Social Media Specialist / Coder
Resume
AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist #896
Featured in a PBS Documentary, “Weathered,” as a subject matter expert on tornadoes
Correspondent on the CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell during Major Mississippi River flooding in spring 2023
Subject matter expert on the Northern Lights for Fox News’ Live Now
Emmy and Murrow-awarded meteorologist, rocket-launch analyst and producer. Captivated 18+ million online viewers with creative coverage of severe weather and spaceflight events. Proactive problem solver who fuses deep technical expertise with creativity and project management skills to direct broadcasts and change the on-air formula to capture new viewers over new mediums.
Contact Information
Email: NickStewartWX@gmail.com
Phone: (773)220-5224
Twitter/X/Threads/Facebook/Insta: @NStewWX
Education:
B.S. Meteorology, Western Illinois University, August 2011 - December 2015
Minor Field: Emergency Management
2018 Emmy Recipient: Producer, editor and meteorologist for the ‘Parkersburg: In their own words’ weather special.
US Space Force/RGNext: Cape Canaveral, Florida
Aug. 2023 - Present
Meteorologist/Upper Level Winds Analyst
• Analyze and quality-control upper-level winds for 38+ launches and multiple NASA Artemis simulations at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
• Provide upper-level winds support and improved meteorological weather instrumentation performance which has sent 32+ total astronauts/cosmonauts to space
• Partnered on a tiger team that improved wind profiler data reliability, reducing missing data from more than 80% to less than 10%, directly enhancing launch decision support
• Applied data analysis and system validation expertise, working with field technicians to improve Vaisala lightning sensor performance from <30% efficiency to >90%
• Provide real-time meteorological updates to launch directors and customers—including NASA, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance—supporting safe and successful launch operations
• Trained to prepare and release weather balloons for launch operations, getting a balloon in the air in less than eight minutes from initial request
•Create weather balloon release schedules for launch operations
• Perform quality control on weather balloon thermodynamic and wind data, and Doppler Radar Wind Profiler (TDRWP) data
• Research and validate lightning data over the spaceport/central Florida using custom-built Python code and AI assistance
•Forecast weather patterns that could affect the Spaceport and potential impact on upper-level wind data including temperature inversions, sea breeze boundaries and outflow boundaries
•Maintain inventory for mandatory launch weather assets including radiosondes and weather balloons
KGAN/KFXA: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Dec. 2017 - Sept. 2023
Meteorologist/Space and Rocket Reporter
Nine-time Emmy Award-winning evening meteorologist, producer, storm chaser, and editor for 325,000 households
Organized and led cross-functional teams of producers, reporters, and meteorologists during high-intensity, long-duration severe weather coverage
Forecast severe weather, winter storms, and flooding for 23 eastern Iowa counties using numerical models, ensemble guidance, teleconnections and analogs
Reported on spaceflight and rocket launches as Space/Rocket Correspondent for Sinclair Broadcast Group, reaching 185 stations across 86 U.S. markets
Produced and edited weather specials, including historical documentaries and preparedness programming
Anchored and produced live, life-saving tornado outbreak coverage, integrating real-time graphics, live feeds, and reporters
Field-reported and storm chased using LiveU and SpaceX Starlink technology for live broadcasts
Wrote, produced, shot, and edited weather and science stories using Avid, Adobe Premiere, and iNews
Photographed spaceflight missions, deploying remote cameras on launch pads for major events including Artemis I and SpaceX Crew Demo-1
Radio forecaster for 11 different radio stations in eastern Iowa
KHQA: Quincy, Ill.
Dec. 2015 - Dec. 2017
Meteorologist/Photojournalist
Weekend, evening meteorologist and main fill-in for all shifts
Western Courier: Macomb, Ill.
May 2014 – Dec. 2015
Editor-in-Chief
· Managed a staff of 30 editors, writers and photographers, overseeing daily operations of a print and digital publication
· Turned the newspaper’s first profit in more than a decade through strategic budgeting, advertising and audience engagement
· Expanded Facebook presence to become the University’s most-followed page aside from the official WIU account, driving record social media engagement
· Wrote and copyedited stories for print and web, ensuring adherence to AP Style and journalistic standards
· Directed social media strategy across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to grow readership and brand presence
· Edited stories for grammar, accuracy, structure and AP Style compliance
· Utilized Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere) and Microsoft Office daily for content production and layout
Click for Photo Portfolio
Demo Reel
Coding Examples
A loop of the severe weather reports in 2024 across the United States. Made in Python, using a CSV data source from the Storm Prediction Center.
A Python plot using MetPy and Barb Plot to create a time series as Hurricane Milton passed over the Kennedy Space Center using the TDRWP, or the Tropospheric Doppler Radar Wind Profiler.
A time-series plot in Python, with a running calculation of standard deviations to project lightning jumps using the 2 Sigma Method, pulling in lightning data from the Cape MERLIN, as the supercell that produced the EF-3 tornado in Fort Pierce, FL developed.
Honors and Awards:
2024 Emmy as Producer for “The Flood of 2008 In Their Own Words” by the Midwest Regional Emmy Chapter
2024 Emmy Nomination as a Producer from the Midwest Regional Emmy Chapter for the Weather Special “The Flood of 2008: In Their Own Words.”
2024 Regional Murrow in Breaking News Coverage as a Meteorologist/Storm Chaser for the “March 31, 2023 Tornado Outbreak”
2023 Emmy as Talent-Anchor-Weather for “Meteorologist Nick Stewart Composite” by the Midwest Regional Emmy Chapter
2023 Four Regional Emmy Nominations as a Meteorologist from the Midwest Regional Emmy Chapter
2023 First Place for Public Affairs Reporting at the Iowa Broadcast News Association for weather special “Iowa’s Wild Weather”
2023 Second and Third Place for Farm and Agribusiness Reporting at the Iowa Broadcast News Association
2023 Third Place for In-Depth Series for coverage of Artemis I at the Iowa Broadcast News Association
2023 Award of Merit as a Meteorologist at the Midwest Broadcast Journalist Association
2022 Emmy as a Meteorologist for “July 14, 2021 Tornado Outbreak” by the Midwest Regional Emmy Chapter
2022 Seven Regional Emmy Nominations as a Meteorologist from the Midwest Regional Emmy Chapter
2022 Regional Murrow in News Documentary as a Producer for “The Iowa Derecho: In Their Own Words”
2022 First Place Meteorologist at the Midwest Broadcast Journalist Association
2022 First Place as a Producer for “The Iowa Derecho: In Their Own Words” at the Iowa Broadcast News Association
2021 Emmy as Talent-Anchor-Weather for “Meteorologist Nick Stewart Composite” by the Midwest Regional Emmy Chapter
2021 Emmy as a Storm Chaser, Meteorologist for “KGAN Breaking News, The Iowa Derecho” by the Midwest Regional Emmy Chapter
2021 Emmy as a Producer, Editor and Meteorologist for “Marshalltown Tornado: In Their Own Words” by the Midwest Regional Emmy Chapter
2021 Five Emmy nomination as a producer for “Weather - Short or Long Format” and “Documentary - Topical;” as a storm chaser in “Breaking News;” and as a meteorologist in “Evening - Newscast” and “Talent - Anchor - Weather”
2021 First Place Meteorologist at the Midwest Broadcast Journalist Association
2021 Award of Merit as Weather Producer for “Marshalltown: In Their Own Words” at the Midwest Broadcast Journalist Association
2021 First Place Meteorologist in the Breaking News Category at the Iowa Broadcast News Association
2020 Emmy as a Weather Producer for “Rising Waters 2020,” a Weather Special by the Midwest Regional Emmy Chapter
2020 Three Emmy nominations for “Weather - Single Story, “Talent -Anchor -Weather” and “Weather - Program/Special”
2020 Second and Third Place for Overall Excellence in Weather Coverage at the Iowa Broadcast News Association
2019 Emmy as a storm chaser and meteorologist by the Midwest Regional Emmy chapter for “Johnson County Tornado,” Breaking News Coverage
2019 Three Emmy nominations for “Weather - Program/Special,” “Talent-Anchor-Weather” and “Breaking News Coverage”
2019 Recognized by the Iowa Broadcast News Association for overall excellence in weather coverage
2019 Second place for Best Use of Online Media by the Iowa Broadcast News Association
2018 Emmy as editor, producer, meteorologist by the Midwest Regional Emmy chapter for the ‘Parkersburg: In their own words’ weather special
2018 Third Place for Best Use of Interactive Media by the Illinois Broadcasters Association
2018 Third Place for Spot News Coverage by the Iowa Broadcast News Conference
2017 Best TV Spot News Coverage in Medium Market TV by the Illinois Broadcasters Association
2016 Second Place for Overall Excellence in Weather Coverage by the Iowa Broadcast News Association: 2016
2015 First place for “Best Video Newscast,” Students in Illinois News Broadcasters Association
2015 Third place for “Undergraduate Student Poster,” American Meteorological Society
2014 First place winning the “Tim Samaras Award for Best Student Poster,” Central Iowa Severe Storms and Doppler Radar Conference.
2014 First place in the Department of Geography, Undergraduate Research Day, WIU
2014 First place for “Best Video Newscast,” National Broadcasting Society
2014 First place for “Best Video Newscast,” Student in Illinois News Broadcasters Association
Weather Reporting
Using high-resolution satellite imagery to find tornado tracks, making the Dec. 15, 2021 tornado outbreak the largest on record.
Live Storm Chasing
Demo reel of live storm chasing both at KGAN-TV and personal YouTube live streams.
The full playback of the Emmy-awarded breaking news coverage of the May 24, 2019 tornado that touched down in Washington and Johnson Counties in Iowa. Meteorologist Nick Stewart tracked the tornado live, as it happened, showing where it was at and where it was going next. KGAN CBS2 Chief Meteorologist Terry Swails anchors from the studio with Meteorologist Rebecca Kopelman.
Presentations at Conferences:
2025 “Contextualizing the anomalous Hurricane Milton tornado outbreak in Florida” at the Central Iowa NWA 27th Annual Severe Storms and Doppler Radar Conference in Ankeny, Iowa
2025 “Winter Weather/Summer Storms and Severe Weather Forecasting” at the 2025 Iowa Turfgrass Institute in Des Moines, Iowa (Invited)
2025 “A Guide to Space Weather Forecasting” at the 2025 Steamboat Weather Summit in Steamboat, Colorado (Invited)
2025 “Severe Weather and Winter Weather Forecasting” at the 2025 Iowa Turfgrass Institute Conference (Invited)
2023 “Get off the TV - Live Tornado Coverage and Viewership During Tornado Warnings” at the American Meteorological Society 50th Conference on Broadcast Meteorology/Sixth Conference on Weather Warnings and Communication
2022 “Communicating the Unthinkable - TV Meteorologists’ role in the 2020 Iowa Derecho” at the American Meteorological Society 49th Conference on Broadcast Meteorology/Sixth Conference on Weather Warnings and Communication
2022 “Get off the TV - Live Tornado Coverage and Viewership During Tornado Warnings” at the Central Iowa Severe Storms and Doppler Radar Conference in Ankeny, Iowa
2021 “Communicating the Unthinkable - TV Meteorologists’ role in the 2020 Iowa Derecho” at the 2021 Association of Minnesota Emergency Managers (Invited)
2021 “Communicating the Unthinkable - TV Meteorologists’ role in the 2020 Iowa Derecho” at the 2021 NWA Extreme Weather Virtual Symposium (Invited)
2020 “Get off the TV-Live Tornado Coverage and Viewership During Tornado Warnings" at the (virtual) National Weather Service La Crosse, WI media seminar (Invited)
2018 "Tri-State Tornadoes of 2017" at the Central Iowa Severe Storms and Doppler Radar Conference in Ankeny, Iowa
2017 "Radar Evolution of the 7/13/15 Quincy, IL Wind Storm" at the Central Iowa Severe Storms and Doppler Radar Conference in Ankeny, Iowa.
2015 "The Mother’s Day Severe Weather Outbreak: Rapid Supercell Growth Paralleling a Warm Front on May 11, 2014" at the Central Iowa Severe Storms and Doppler Radar Conference in Ankeny, Iowa.
2015 "The Effects of the Bishop Hill Illinois Wind Farm on Near-Surface Wind Patterns" at the 95th American Meteorological Society meeting in Phoenix, Arizona.
2014 "The Effects of the Bishop Hill Illinois Wind Farm on Near-Surface Wind Patterns" at the Central Iowa Severe Storms and Doppler Radar Conference
2014 "Integration of Social Media into News Reporting" at the Illinois College Press Association Conference
