FRANK WARREN: My name is Frank Warren, from Fayetteville, Arkansas, and I want to ask</s>CNN: What is a meteorologist? What education or training is required? And what do AMS and NWA membership and approval mean?</s>JACQUI JERAS, METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): According to the dictionary, a meteorologist is one who studies the weather." But the American Meteorological Society, or the AMS, says a meteorologist is someone with specialized education who uses scientific principles to explain, understand, observe, or forecast the earth's atmospheric phenomena. (on camera): The specialized education they're talking about is a Bachelor's of Science degree in meteorology or atmospheric sciences, or the equivalent of that education with three years of experience in the field. A seal of approval from the AMS or the National Weather Association is awarded to meteorologists who prove scientific competence and effective communication skills in their weather presentations. So, not only do you need to know your stuff, but you must be able to explain it to the public in a way that they can understand. Both societies require an on-air evaluation and the NWA requires an exam.
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