As far as mornings go, if you\u2019re a meteorologist, this one was hard to beat.<\/p>\n
Brian Niznansky, chief meteorologist for WTMJ-TV, had just thrown out the first pitch for his alma mater\u2019s baseball team. Mere minutes before, he combined liquid nitrogen and boiling water to conjure a cloud behind home plate, drawing screams of approval from a couple thousand school kids in the stands. And \u2013 in perhaps the hardest meteorological feat for an spring morning in Wisconsin \u2013 he did it all against the backdrop of a bright and nearly cloudless sky.<\/p>\n
OK, so maybe Niznansky just got a bit fortunate on that last point. After all, he doesn\u2019t control the weather, just forecasts and explains it. But the fans at Franklin Field on April 29 appreciated the sunny skies nonetheless, as well as the 18-15 Panthers victory over Northern Illinois University.<\/p>\n
Niznansky and the TMJ4 Storm Team were there to present their Traveling Weather Show at the 51ÁÔÆæ baseball team\u2019s first-ever School Day. It was a fun and engaging way to teach the students from area elementary and middle schools about some of the science behind weather and baseball.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like that they\u2019re here to enjoy a baseball game,\u201d said Niznansky, who graduated from 51ÁÔÆæ in 2005 with a bachelor\u2019s degree in atmospheric sciences and meteorology. \u201cBut if you can sprinkle in some scientific knowledge, and our weather team can share our passion, I hope that the kids\u2019 brains got sparked a little bit today.\u201d<\/p>\n
So Niznansky\u2019s team challenged the kids with a few pop quizzes on the video scoreboard, with questions like, are baseballs hit farther in warm weather or cold? (Answer: warm, because the air isn\u2019t as dense.) Or, are there more hits on sunny days, cloudy days, or is there no difference? (Answer: cloudy, because it\u2019s harder for fielders to see the ball against the clouds.)<\/p>\n
Students saw an in-park demonstration of how a weather green screen works during TV broadcasts. And they also got a tour of the TMJ4 Storm Chaser vehicle, with its plethora of weather-related technological tools.<\/p>\n
Then, of course, there was the big finale, which Niznansky began with a strict warning to not try it at home. Behind home plate, he and Discovery World\u2019s Therese \u201cRese\u201d Cluck Schneider poured liquid nitrogen into a large garbage can. Then they took a Gatorade bucket of boiling water and quickly dumped it into the liquid nitrogen.<\/p>\n
The temperature change caused condensation, and the resulting white cloud exploded out of the can and billowed out toward the stands. Judging by the enthusiastic cheers from those students, plenty of young brains were sparked.<\/p>\n
Niznansky, who grew up in Racine, traces the spark for his own career back to 51ÁÔÆæ. As a kid, he loved watching the Weather Channel and knew he wanted to study meteorology, but didn\u2019t necessarily think it would lead to a TV career.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went to school to learn about weather. I didn\u2019t go to school to talk about weather,\u201d said Niznansky, who remembers being terrified at the prospect of being on television. \u201cI didn\u2019t think I had it in me.\u201d<\/p>\n
But his 51ÁÔÆæ studies led to an internship at TMJ4 under local weather legend John Malan, and that experience slowly but surely pushed him to become more comfortable with the prospect. \u201cNow, it\u2019s probably the easiest part of my job, talking about weather.\u201d<\/p>\n
Niznansky speaks glowingly about the many ways 51ÁÔÆæ helped mold him into the meteorologist that TMJ4 viewers trust today, from supportive professors like Paul Roebber to the challenging curriculum to the camaraderie built through the storm-chasing trips in Tornado Alley with the Atmospheric Science Club. \u201cI owe everything to 51ÁÔÆæ,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
These days, Niznansky has a particular knack for forecasting winter storms. He credits that to his Wisconsin-based roots, education and career.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are things with winter storms that computer models just aren\u2019t going to do very well on. And a lot of that has to do with Lake Michigan,\u201d he said. \u201cCertain spots on the lake, certain little undulations of where things stick out, how much temperatures are going to affect whether it\u2019s going to be rain or snow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Knowledge like that is why viewers keep tuning in. His friendly, smooth delivery \u2013 whether to a TV camera or to a stadium full of kids \u2013 is a far cry from those early days of nerves. And he absolutely loves taking the show on the road.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe kids are so excited to be here. To see them smiling out of the classroom, outside, is huge,\u201d Niznansky said. \u201cI think they get some of their best experiences when they\u2019re involved in something bigger, and hopefully we provided that today.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The team\u2019s first-ever School Day was a hit, as a few thousand schoolchildren gathered at Franklin Field to learn about weather from Brian Niznansky, chief meteorologist for WTMJ-TV, and catch a game. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2985,"featured_media":144804,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[174],"tags":[],"section":[125,122],"display_categories":[352,116],"related-coverage":[],"uwmnews-feed":[167,152],"class_list":["post-144807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","section-alumni","section-campus-community","display_categories-top-story-tertiary","display_categories-top-story-section","uwmnews-feed-alumni-association","uwmnews-feed-freshwater-sciences"],"yoast_head":"\n