Long ago in Iowa, Don Schwenneker left college early and took his first job in TV news, where he stumbled into once-a-week weather forecasts despite knowing zero about meteorology.
That lucky accident led to his first full-time forecasting job in New Mexico, where he learned weather science by taking a correspondence course, watching VHS tapes sent in the mail. Sealed and certified, he moved on to Pittsburgh and Chicago.
Three decades later, Schwenneker earned his way to chief meteorologist at ABC11 in Raleigh, where he is often voted the Triangle’s favorite TV personality — a literal huge success who stands 6-foot-5 with the nickname “Big Weather.”…