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This week we are delighted to highlight Kevin Skarupa, a well-known meteorologist – at our very own WMUR-TV – and given his profession, Kevin is no stranger to winter. We love the enthusiasm with which he embraces the season and shares his excitement with viewers.
Although he worked in both Florida and Nashville several years ago, he also attended college in Vermont, and his first news assignment was in Iowa. Two places where winter is a part of the lifestyle.
So, let’s go back to how it all began. When Kevin was in the 5th grade, one of Kevin’s classmates told him there was going to be a big snowfall that night. Much to his dismay, when he woke up – the sun was shining, and his mother was telling him to get dressed for school. He said to himself, “There’s gotta be a reason weather does what it does.” So off to the library, he went, spending hours reading books on weather phenomena. Pictures of hurricanes and tornadoes left him amazed at what Mother Nature can do. Then he began to watch the Weather Channel, and he was hooked – the elements had become his passion!
And Kevin has had some interesting experiences along the way. One of his most memorable assignments was when he interviewed the Coral Reefer band (Jimmy Buffet’s band). His first job was as a summer swim camp leader, and his favorite season is autumn, by far.
As a pure coincidence, he is a diehard fan of both the Texas Rangers (baseball) and the New York Rangers (hockey). His all-time favorite movie is the John Cusack classic Better Off Dead, a coming-of-age comedy that culminates in Cusack’s character ski racing his arch-nemesis, the guy who stole his girl, down a dangerous ski slope. He receives the hilarious advice at the top of the mountain, “Go that way, really fast…if something gets in your way…turn.”
That brings us to why we chose Kevin for this week’s profile. Aside from his wonderful delivery of the morning and noon weather forecast and involvement with the local community, he has faced big challenges head-on, starting with his first job out of college. Only a week in, one of his co-workers was abducted from her apartment in what would become the biggest unsolved case in Iowa history. Even today, 28 years later.
Over the years, Kevin has run in 7 marathons. In this most recent one, the Boston Marathon this year, he raised $27,000 for the non-profit organization Waypoint. While winter may not be his favorite season, Kevin knows how to embrace the season and keep moving forward.
Thanks, Kevin, for always keeping us up to date and entertained with NH’s constantly changing weather!
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