Joe Lauria is the weekend news meteorologist for FOX 4. Joe believes that the weather reports are important because weather is the one thing that affects everyone.
He joined the station in January 1995, but weather has been an important part of his life since childhood. Growing up in New York, Joe remembers being fascinated by clouds and snowstorms at the age of 10. Winter remains his favorite weather season because of those hard-to-forecast snowstorms.
This award-winning meteorologist was chief meteorologist at KOSA-TV in Midland, Texas for six years. It was there that the Associated Press voted him the best weathercaster of the year for the state of Texas. He also has been chief meteorologist at WAYK-TV in Orlando, Florida and KFKF-FM in Kansas City and WCEE-TV in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Over the years he's done local radio forecasts for KMBZ-AM and WHB-AM.
Besides his FOX 4 weather forecasts, Joe gives dozens of speeches and severe weather seminars for the young and old each year. Talking to adults…he loves speaking about how TV stations now cover bad weather…it certainly has changed a lot over the last 5 years or so. He was named president of the KC Chapter of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) for both 2001-02 and 2002- 03, and has been Vice President since 2008… and also is a member of the National Weather Association (NWA). Both organizations have given him their Seal of Approval for excellence in weather broadcasting. As a way of giving back to the weather community, he used to judge TV candidates nationwide in order for them to obtain this prestigious certification as well as hold various offices for the KC Chapter of the American Meteorological Society (AMS). He also has been awarded the highest honor possible for a TV meteorologist when he obtained the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) designation from the AMS. He is the currently the only weekend meteorologist with this certification in Kansas City and fewer than 500 people have this title nationwide.
In 1984, Joe graduated from St. Louis University with a bachelor's degree in meteorology. Joe considers one of his career highlights to be helping our viewers get through the tornado outbreaks that have affected the area for the past years including the May 4, 2003 KC Tornado Outbreak.
When he is not working, Joe enjoys traveling, sports, and especially playing golf…he even has a hole-in-one. As a matter of fact…during the golf season as a way of helping out the golf community and local charities as well…he actively promotes 100's of different golf fundraisers around the area both on the air and through Joe's Golf Tournaments on fox4kc.com. A native of New Rochelle, New York, Joe currently resides in Olathe, Kansas with his wife Jaye Lynn and their 3 cats. His favorite things about the city are the great Italian restaurants and of course the golf courses.
(Updated 10/11)
