MOLINE, Ill. — Over the last 30 years, StormTrack8 Chief Meteorologist James Zahara has become a household name and a trusted source of accurate weather forecasts for many in the Quad Cities.
Sunday, July 17 marks 30 years of James working at WQAD News 8, and we want to celebrate how far he's come with a look back at where he began.
Early years
James knew he wanted to be a meteorologist from the time he was 8 years old. His mom would often find him on the roof of their Flossmoss, Illinois, home when severe weather was approaching. He got his inspiration when Weather Channel co-founder John Coleman visited his grade school classroom.
James got his meteorology degree in 1988 from the University of Kansas. His broadcasting career started in 1988 when he worked as chief meteorologist at WOAY in Beckley, West Virginia. In 1990, he worked at WAFF in Hunstville, Alabama, as a weekday meteorologist alongside then-Chief Meteorologist Bob Baron. Baron later went on to become the president and CEO of Baron Services, the maker of the Baron Storm Warning System.
Legacy at WQAD
James started working at WQAD in 1992 as a weekday meteorologist for Good Morning Quad Cities. Throughout his time here, James has received meteorology seals from the American Meteorologist Society (1994) and the National Weather Association (2001). He became a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist in July 2007.
James has also won several awards for his on-air work at WQAD, including Best Spot News from the Illinois Associated Press for his coverage of the 2007 Fruitland tornado and the first-place Eric Sevareid Award for "Snow Desk," a live broadcast of James and Jim Mertens from an outdoor set during the first major snowstorm of 2008.
Find your full, up-to-date weather forecast here. Download the StormTrack8 App for iPhone here and Android here.
See more of James Zahara on WQAD's YouTube channel: