My first fascination with weather came while growing up, constantly being told by my parents I was born after the "Storm of the Century" in 1993. I didn't understand the science (at the time), but I loved reading about how all the elements came together for this "superstorm."
The second time came in fifth grade when I toured a TV station with my Girl Scout troop. I was hooked after standing and practicing at that green screen.
I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, before my dad's job took us to central Florida just as I started high school. I attended the University of Florida where I received my Bachelor of Science in Telecommunication with a certificate in Meteorology and Climatology.
After college, the TV business took me to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where I became a weekend meteorologist and weather producer. I tackled heat, humidity, hurricanes, and a little snow. Our biggest storm during my time there was Hurricane Matthew, which went right over our station and dumped over 14" of rain in some spots. While working full-time, I received my Master of Science in Applied Meteorology from Mississippi State University.
My second broadcast job was at WINK News in Fort Myers, Florida, where I served as the weekday morning meteorologist for almost three years. I covered multiple hurricanes (Michael, Dorian, Isaias, Eta, Elsa, and more), a meteotsunami, and the horrific red tide blooms. I also received my Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) designation from the American Meteorological Society while serving the people of southwest Florida.
I am thrilled to be in Charlotte and closer to my hometown, family and friends. I just became an aunt for the first time, so I'm excited to make the trip easier back and forth to my nephew.
I believe our job as meteorologists isn’t just to forecast the weather. It’s explaining the science to you, the viewer, in a fun, accurate, and engaging way. I try extremely hard to tell the weather story the way I think the viewer would want to hear it.
That's why Chris Mulcahy and I are so passionate about our Weather and Climate IQ stories. We have both won Emmys for the series, which focuses on raising your Weather IQ in a way that captivates the audience.
For me, trust means reliability. I want the viewers to rely on me to make them smile and hopefully laugh, at our shenanigans on Saturday and Sunday mornings. I want you to trust that I'm working hard to bring you interesting weather stories and content for our website and social media pages. And more than anything, I want us to build a bond in which you know I'm working as hard as I can to bring you an accurate forecast - on sunny or severe days. Trust that I'll be transparent when the forecast is difficult or there are questions to work out and know that my main goal is to get you and your family out the door safely with impact-based forecasts every single day.
When I'm not in the weather center, I'm probably exploring the outdoors with my beloved dog, Roger, in tow and a tennis ball in hand. I love dancing, swimming, and watching the Florida Gators, Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta Braves. I’m an alumnus of the Chi Omega Fraternity and very passionate about our philanthropy, the Make-A-Wish Foundation. I am an involved member of the Junior League of Charlotte.
If you see me out and about, please don't hesitate to say hello or to ask me about the weather. I love volunteering for local organizations, so if you'd like me to come out to your event, shoot me an email.
Contact Brittany Van Voorhees at bvanvoorhe@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.