This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Weatherman of the West Continued from Page 13


Meyer worked side-by-side with the late Don Woods of KTUL, a legendary weatherman beloved by thousands of Tulsa viewers. Woods introduced the young Nebraska kid to Tulsa and became a positive infl uence in Meyer’s life. “He was an awesome Christian guy, real dedicated to helping people,” Meyer


says. “My dad taught me how to be a good guy, but Don taught me how to survive and do the right thing in the city.” Following Woods’ retirement, Meyer was promoted to Channel 8 chief me- teorologist and worked there until 2005 when an opportunity arose “across the street” at his station’s main competitor, KOTV. “It was hard to leave friends, but Channel 6 is a great place to work and that made the transition easier,” he says. After moving to KOTV, Meyer and his wife decided to also make a change at home. With their two daughters growing older, the Meyers welcomed two young boys to the family. Having his sons reminded Meyer how much he treasured his childhood in the country. “The boys inspired me because I wanted them to have more respect for


ranching and farming and where their food comes from,” he says. At the studio, Meyer says he’s lucky to surround himself with co-workers who also have agricultural ties. With a weather team he simply describes as “incredible” and street smart reporters who respect farming and ranching, Meyer says his work family makes his job meaningful and fun. “When I started in the Tulsa market in my early 20s, I heard people say over and over and over again that if you surround yourself with the best people


possible, you’ll be successful,” he says. “As I’ve gone through life, I’ve learned that’s the No. 1 rule—you’ve got to have people around that you trust.” As leader of the KOTV weather team, Meyer says he often looks for meteo- rologists with an agricultural background, “people who are earthy,” people who understand that much of Oklahoma is rural.


“I’ve always felt that if I’m involved in the environment, I can relate a lot easier to farmers and ranchers,” he says. “That’s how I grew up and that’s what I wanted to do.” Thirty years of forecasting the weather in “Green Country” doesn’t come without a few sacrifi ces. There are long hours, especially in storm season, and Meyer misses out on a lot of school and family events with his children. “I’ve never been with my family during severe weather, and I don’t get to see my kids in the evening,” he says. Whether on the ranch or in the studio, Meyer’s life revolves around weather. Broadcasting at live events and visiting schools to host his “Wild Weather Camp” gives him an opportunity to interact with local communities and pro- mote weather safety awareness. “Travis and all of his crew are very personable and friendly, which encourages the students to interact with and learn from them,” says Rick Cottle, principal at Porter Elementary School where the News On 6 Weather Team visited in March. “Their weather show is a fun way to convey very serious and important information to the students.” But Meyer says his job is most rewarding when viewers tell him his weather warnings saved their lives from wicked storms and destructive tornadoes. “Moments like that—even if it’s one time in 30 years—it’s just a cool feeling to know you’ve helped somebody,” he says. “That’s the country way, help your neighbor.”


6


NE OKLAHOMA’S GREEN COUNTRY 800.922.2118


34 WWW.OK-LIVING.COOP


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166