Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Weather Technician

🎯 Role Definition

The Weather Technician is an operational meteorology professional responsible for collecting, validating, maintaining, and communicating atmospheric observations and instrument performance information to support aviation safety, emergency management, climatological records, and routine weather forecasting. This role focuses on hands-on operation and calibration of automated and manual weather observing systems (ASOS/AWOS), quality-control of METAR/TAF-type reports, onsite sensor maintenance, and timely dissemination of weather products. Ideal candidates balance technical instrumentation skills, strong observational judgement, and clear communication with operations, forecasters, pilots, and stakeholders.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Entry-level Meteorological Technician / Weather Observer Trainee
Aviation Ground Operations or Airfield Services personnel
Laboratory or field technician with instrumentation experience

Advancement To:

Senior Weather Technician / Lead Observer
Aviation Weather Specialist / Forecast Support Technician
Forecasting Meteorologist (NWS, private sector) or Instrumentation Technician Supervisor

Lateral Moves:

Field Service Technician (environmental instruments)
Climatology/Climate Data Analyst
Instrumentation Calibration Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Operate and maintain automated surface observing systems (ASOS/AWOS), portable weather stations, and allied sensors to ensure continuous, accurate collection of temperature, wind, visibility, precipitation, pressure, and cloud observations used for METAR and other official products.
Prepare, generate, and transmit timely METAR, SPECI, and other airport/aviation observation reports in accordance with national standards and international conventions, ensuring message completeness and correctness.
Perform routine instrument inspection, preventive maintenance, calibration, and troubleshooting on sensors (anemometers, barometers, thermometers, hygrometers, ceilometers, present weather sensors, lightning detectors) to maintain measurement accuracy and uptime.
Conduct manual sky observations, cloud ceiling assessments, and precipitation type identification when automated sensors require augmentation or fail, applying consistent observational techniques and reporting criteria.
Execute field checks and intercomparisons of instruments using certified standards, document calibration records, and complete service logs for audit and regulatory compliance.
Monitor, analyze, and quality-control incoming automated data streams and sensor diagnostics, flagging anomalous values and initiating corrective actions or escalation to engineering teams.
Launch and support routine radiosonde/upper-air operations when required by the program, including balloon preparation, sensor attachment, and data handling for upper-air profiles.
Support radar and satellite data interpretation at a technician level by ingesting and pre-processing remote sensing products for forecasters and operational teams.
Troubleshoot communications interfaces and data telemetering systems (WAN, satellite uplinks, serial links) to restore observation transmission to central servers and stakeholders.
Lead onsite setup, relocation, and commissioning of new observing stations and sensor arrays, including site selection, environmental impact checks, and adherence to siting standards.
Execute storm spotting duties and safety protocols during severe weather events, providing verified ground truth observations to forecast centers and emergency managers.
Maintain and update detailed maintenance schedules, parts inventories, SOPs, and technical documentation to support continuous operations and regulatory inspections.
Provide shift-based observation coverage and on-call support in 24/7 operations, making timely, reliable decisions during nights, weekends, and adverse weather conditions.
Train and mentor junior weather observers and cross-functional staff on observation procedures, instrument operation, and safety practices to strengthen team capabilities and redundancy.
Coordinate with air traffic control, airport operations, emergency management, and weather forecasting centers to ensure observational priorities align with operational needs.
Compile and submit accurate climatological and quality-controlled observation datasets for long-term record-keeping, research, and regulatory compliance.
Execute safety inspections and follow working-at-height, confined space, and electrical safety protocols while performing instrument maintenance and tower work.
Document and report equipment failures, service incidents, and anomalous meteorological events to management and technical teams, contributing to root-cause analyses.
Support the integration of new data feeds into operational systems, validating data formats, timestamps, and metadata for compatibility and traceability.
Participate in quality assurance programs, audits, and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance data reliability, reduce downtime, and optimize maintenance workflows.
Use mobile and fixed instrumentation during field campaigns and special operations (e.g., wildfire monitoring, flood response) to collect targeted environmental observations and support situational awareness.
Maintain a high degree of situational awareness and the ability to prioritize observation and maintenance tasks in rapidly changing operational environments.

Secondary Functions

Assist data analysts and meteorologists with ad-hoc observational requests and targeted datasets for forecasting experiments, verification, or research projects.
Contribute practical input to procurement specifications and acceptance testing for new weather sensors, ensuring operational fit and maintainability.
Participate in emergency response planning, including mobilization procedures for rapid deployment to impacted sites and coordination with public safety agencies.
Help develop or update training materials, checklists, and runbooks for observation procedures, instrument maintenance, and field safety.
Support remote monitoring dashboards by feeding verified observational summaries and sensor health checks to improve situational awareness for distributed teams.
Collect and annotate ground-truth observations to support remote sensing validation, algorithm tuning, and product development teams.
Contribute to community outreach and briefings, explaining observational limitations and capabilities to stakeholders such as airport staff, media, and local authorities.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Strong knowledge of surface and aviation observing procedures (METAR/SPECI generation, station logbook practices) and applicable national/international standards.
Hands-on experience operating and maintaining ASOS, AWOS, or equivalent automated weather observing systems, including sensor replacement and alignment.
Instrument calibration skills, including use of reference equipment for barometers, thermometers, humidity sensors, and anemometers.
Proficiency with meteorological data formats and protocols (e.g., METAR, SYNOP, BUFR, CSV) and experience validating timestamps and metadata integrity.
Familiarity with radar and satellite imagery basics, including interpretation of reflectivity, velocity, and cloud-top temperature concepts for ground truthing.
Experience with radiosonde launch procedures and processing of upper-air sounding data (when applicable).
Basic networking and telemetry troubleshooting skills to diagnose data flow issues between field instruments and central servers.
Competence with electronic diagnostic tools (multimeter, anemometer calibration rigs, GPS timing verification) and hand tools for field repairs.
Working knowledge of meteorological software such as AWIPS, WSV3, MeteoInfo, or other observation ingest and visualization platforms; experience with Linux/Windows server environments a plus.
Experience with data quality control and QA/QC procedures, including automated flagging, manual review, and correction/annotation workflows.
Familiarity with aviation operations and communication protocols (NOTAMs, ATC coordination) for aviation-focused observing roles.
Basic scripting or data handling skills (Python, R, or shell scripting) to assist with data extraction, bulk QC, and diagnostic reporting.
Experience maintaining technical documentation, maintenance logs, and producing technical reports for regulatory or management review.
Proficiency with GPS timing and synchronization methods for time-stamped observational data.

Soft Skills

Excellent observational judgement with meticulous attention to detail and a strong commitment to data integrity.
Clear oral and written communication skills to interact with pilots, forecasters, airport operations, and emergency managers.
Strong problem-solving aptitude with the ability to diagnose equipment issues under time pressure and in adverse weather conditions.
Ability to work independently in the field as well as collaboratively within multidisciplinary operational teams.
Flexibility to work rotating shifts, nights, weekends, and be available for on-call rotations during severe weather events.
Physical stamina and comfort working outdoors in varied and potentially hazardous weather conditions while following safety protocols.
Customer-service orientation, responding promptly to stakeholder requests and communicating limitations and timelines clearly.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to maintain accurate logs, inventories, and documentation under operational tempo.
Adaptability to changing technologies and eagerness to learn new instruments, software tools, and observation techniques.
Stress tolerance and sound decision-making during time-critical situations, including severe weather response and aviation safety incidents.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED with relevant technical training or certifications (e.g., NWS Observer Certification, FAA weather courses, electronics technician certificate).

Preferred Education:

Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, Environmental Science, Physics, Geography, or a related technical field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Meteorology / Atmospheric Science
Environmental Science / Climatology
Physics / Applied Physics
Geography / Geosciences
Electronics / Instrumentation Technology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

0–3 years for entry-level Weather Technicians; 2–5 years for fully operational or lead technician roles depending on complexity of systems and program requirements.

Preferred:

2+ years’ experience operating ASOS/AWOS or similar automated observing networks, demonstrated instrument maintenance and calibration experience, and prior shift-based or aviation-related observation work. Experience interacting with FAA/NWS procedures, NOTAMs, and aviation stakeholders is highly desirable. Certifications or coursework in meteorological observing and instrument electronics are a plus.