Oscar Wilde believed that conversations about the weather were the last refuge of the unimaginative, but I disagree. Weather is fascinating with the way it moves, changes, shifts - sometimes in the span of minutes, other times, days. And it affects everybody, making it a nice little conversation to be had.
The people we rely on the most to tell us how to prepare for the unforeseeable are the meteorologists, working hard to explain the graphs, numbers and shapes displayed on the screen. But what happens when one meteorologist realizes the image on screen can be moved and changed just by the touch of their fingers? Well, you get something incredibly wholesome!
Before we dive into the details, dear pandarandas, please leave your impressions and love for the weather in the comments below - is it raining, sunny, windy? Also, don’t forget to upvote and follow the author - it’s like a ray of sunshine after months of snowfall!
More info: Twitter
A meteorologist named Greg Dutra went viral after sharing a clip of him accidentally discovering his TV was an interactive touch screen while live on air
Image credits: DutraWeather
When you’re unprepared for something amazing to happen, it catches you off guard, yet the aftermath is one of the most blissful moments anyone can experience. I’m not saying this is exactly what happened to one meteorologist, named Greg Dutra, but I bet it’s pretty close.
The man went viral online after suddenly discovering that the TV he’d been using to forecast weather was an interactive touch screen. It happened during his morning live show on ABC and it had both viewers at home and staff in the studio cackling.
He was explaining weather patterns during the morning show when he touched the screen and the map moved, making him say “I can do that? No way!”
Image credits: DutraWeather
In the video, which you’ll be able to watch at the end, Greg can be seen talking about the weather patterns shown on the TV screen in an energetic manner, his hands moving all across the screen like a forming hurricane.
With one swoop he accidentally touched the screen. The map moved, and it caught the meteorologist by surprise. He exclaimed, “Oh! I moved the map… I can do that? No way!” His morning co-host Val Warner asked off camera, “Are you serious? Did you just discover that?”
He was looking at the screen as if he’d just found his way to Narnia. The smile that lit up his face could warm the soul of just about anyone. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sorry to say he is taken and has a wonderful wife and two girls. I know, I fell in love too. Now back to the story.
“I gotta try it!” said fellow news anchor Terrell Brown, who came rushing to the screen to play with it, sharing a short moment of childlike wonder with Greg
Image credits: DutraWeather
Image credits: DutraWeather
Amid Greg’s reaction, someone said, “I gotta try it!” And soon anchor Terrell Brown came rushing to the screen and started playing around with it. The two have a short moment of childlike wonder before Terrell walks back to his seat and Greg continues to explore the possibilities.
He zooms in and tilts the image. “Oh my gosh! You can tilt it?! What's going on here?!” he asked, laughing out loud. “It’s a great day!” he said excitedly, trying to get back on track with the forecast.
“Our temperatures are warming up nicely this afternoon.” He seemed to get a little shy by the end, as fellow news crew asked repeatedly how he did not know that. “But, I didn’t know. I never touched it before.”
“Oh my gosh! You can tilt it?! What's going on here?!” he asked after playing around some more. Laughing and with a huge smile he said, “It’s a great day!”
Image credits: DutraWeather
Greg shared the video on Twitter and wrote, “This wasn’t in the training manual!” The wholesome moment quickly blew up and gained 4.7M views
Image credits: DutraWeather
Greg shared the video on Twitter and wrote, “This wasn’t in the training manual! @TBrownABC7 @valwarnertv and I went OFF THE RAILS when I discovered the TV is a touch screen while on-air on @ABC7Chicago.” It didn’t take long for the moment to spread like wildfire and, at the point of writing, it has amassed 4.7M views.
“Well this blew up!” he wrote in the comments. “I’ve got nothing to sell or plug except be nice to those around you. Everyone’s going through something.” Although most commenters thanked Greg for the wholesomeness and laughs, there were some that took the cake. Or should I say, took the umbrella!
One of them said, “Please stop moving the Earth, Greg! I’m trying to pour a glass of milk and I keep spilling it because the ground is all WOOOOO.” Another user wrote, “This is exactly how I imagine how the ones reacted when they first first discovered fire, this same energy! Love it!!”
Greg has been working as a weatherman and meteorologist for ABC 7 Chicago for 3 years, and it shocked everyone that he didn’t know of the touch screen
Image credits: DutraWeather
Greg has been working as a weatherman and meteorologist for ABC 7 Chicago for three years, and it was a shock to everyone that he didn’t know the possibilities of the tech in front of him. He explained to CNN: “I picked up the job here about 4 months before COVID started, so I was getting onboarded.”
“Then COVID happened and everyone went home, all the anchors did remote kits. Then I came back after a year and a half and everyone just assumed, ‘he’s been here for 2 years, so surely he knows it’s a touchscreen right?’” Thus, no one thought to say anything about it, thinking he just wasn’t a fan of it.
Image credits: dutraweather
But he started working just before Covid hit, making all the news anchors report remotely. When he came back, everyone just assumed he knew
Image credits: dutraweather
If you yourself are curious about becoming a meteorologist, then let me tell you - it’s not easy! According to US News, understanding the causes and effects of weather requires mathematical prowess, a technical mindset, and an appreciation for nature. So the first thing to ask yourself is ‘Do you like math and science?’
A bachelor's degree in meteorology is the standard entry-level credential within this field. However, a graduate degree such as a master's or Ph.D. degree may be necessary for certain positions. One should also focus on developing strong communication skills, especially if he or she wants to become a weather forecaster or a television weather person.
Image credits: dutraweather
You know what they say, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me 350,000 times, you're probably a meteorologist.
Before technological breakthroughs in recent decades, a common joke was that meteorology was the only occupation where someone could consistently be wrong and still have a job, although modern technology has helped make it a lot more accurate and precise. And having a touch screen to aid the explanation of it all can’t hurt!
We wish Greg nothing but the best and can’t wait to see what he can do with the touch screen!
Image credits: dutraweather
“I’ve got friends that gave me a hard time about it but my family is just over the moon,” he said. “Being from such a small town, you know, it kinda made waves there. It’s nice to know that people actually like to see good things and follow people for good things. It’s nice being a timeline cleanser.”
We wish Greg nothing but the best in his new journey of discovering all the magical things you can do with a touch screen as a meteorologist! I’m sure his fans can’t wait to see it happen live on air!
Watch the hilarious moment here
Let us know your thoughts on this wholesome video. And tell us - what’s the weather like where you are? Until the next one and happy trails!
People have loved this moment of childlike wonder and glee! Let us know your thoughts, as well as answering the question - what’s the weather like at yours?
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