John Morales is the longest tenured broadcast meteorologist in South Florida, serving as a reassuring television presence for nearly three decades. His tropical weather acumen and steadfast character guided South Florida viewers through hurricanes Andrew, Irene, Katrina, Wilma, and most recently Hurricane Irma. For his life-saving work during the 2017 season, Mr. Morales was recognized with the John Coleman Broadcast Award at the National Tropical Weather Conference.
Born in Schenectady, New York of an Irish-American father and a Puerto Rican mother, John was raised in Puerto Rico and later returned to his roots in Upstate New York to attend the atmospheric sciences program at prestigious Cornell University. In college, John won the student weather forecasting contest, rowed for the Cornell Crew, and later worked as a disc jockey and sportscaster for student-run radio station WVBR.
After graduation in 1984, John became a civil servant with the U.S. National Weather Service, where he became a Lead Forecaster in Puerto Rico before accepting a position as Chief of the South American Desk at the National Center for Environmental Predictions in Washington D.C.
His first TV job was at the Univision Network and its Miami station WLTV channel 23, where he served as Chief Meteorologist from 1991 through 2002. From 2003 through 2008 he served as Chief Meteorologist for WSCV Telemundo 51. While there, he became the first Latino to substitute as meteorologist on NBC’s Weekend Today show, and did so multiple times. In 2009 John Morales became Chief Meteorologist for NBC’s Miami station WTVJ / NBC6, where he still serves today.
John Morales is one of very few weather presenters elected to be a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS). In what could be considered his most important scientific recognition, John earned the 2007 AMS Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Advance of Applied Meteorology. Among his many credentials, John holds the AMS and National Weather Association Seal of Approval for Radio and TV weathercasting, and has won the Broadcaster of the Year Award from both organizations. In addition, he is accredited by the AMS as a Certified Consulting Meteorologist and a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist. He has won three regional Emmy Awards, one at each station he has worked in. Most recently, Mr. Morales was presented with the Silver Circle Award, in recognition of the quality of his contributions to television.
In 1997, Morales participated in Vice President Al Gore’s White House conference on global warming and climate change. John returned to the White House at the invitation of President Barack Obama in 2014 for the release of the Third National Climate Assessment. He has twice been appointed to National Academies of Sciences (NAS) committees, co-authoring studies in 2012 and 2017 pertinent to America’s Weather Enterprise. He also wrote Huracanes, a Spanish-language reference book on hurricanes in 2000.
Morales’ volunteerism extends from board of directors’ participation in multiple South Florida non-profits, to mentoring young scientists, to having piloted for Angel Flight Southeast, an organization that provides free flights so children and adults can have access to far-from-home doctors. John and his wife Carmen live in Coconut Grove.
The Latest
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John Morales looks back at an unusual 2023 hurricane season as it comes to an end
The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season comes to an end Thursday. Reviews are decidedly mixed. NBC6 hurricane specialist John Morales takes a look back at the unusual season.
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John Morales on Hurricane Otis' rapid intensification and a warning about predicting storm strength
NBC6 hurricane specialist John Morales looks at the rapid intensification of Hurricane Otis and has a warning about the future of predicting storm strength.
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Hurricane season full of surprises may have another with new tropical disturbance: Morales
In a hurricane season full of surprises, we may see another yet. A tropical disturbance with a high chance of developing into a tropical depression or storm sat south of the Cabo Verde islands on Friday.
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John Morales reflects on Hurricane Ian 1 year later and what we can learn from devastating storm
A year ago Thursday John Morales was in the NBC6 studios watching in horror as Hurricane Ian, on approach to Florida, intensified into a Category 5 cyclone. As the hurricane specialist on the NBC6 weather team, I had been on the air for days warning about how Florida had a big “water problem” with Ian — the combination of storm...
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What is keeping hurricanes away from South Florida, Puerto Rico? John Morales explains
Many people have been asking “if the 2023 hurricane season has been so busy, how come South Florida and Puerto Rico haven’t seen any impacts, or even a significant threat?’ NBC6 Hurricane Specialist John Morales explains.
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An active hurricane season with mostly underachieving storms, but it's not over yet: John Morales
2023 has been very active in the Atlantic up to this point. In the battle between wind shear boosted by the El Niño phenomenon and the record hot sea surface temperatures, the warm water is winning out by helping produce an inordinate number of storms.
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Are Category 5 hurricanes no longer a rare phenomenon? John Morales explains
Lee indeed is the first Atlantic Cat 5 of 2023, but this hurricane is just one of eight tropical cyclones to attain this ill-famed intensity in the Atlantic over the past eight years.
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John Morales looks at Hurricane Lee's rapid intensification and likely impacts
The very first forecast posted by NHC for Tropical Depression Thirteen, now Hurricane Lee, immediately called for a high-end category 4 hurricane. It is the record most aggressive initial intensity projection from NHC, going back at least to the year 2000.
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John Morales explains record-breaking 1933 hurricane season (and the big difference in 2023)
A handful of hurricanes and the worst economic downturn of the century in just one year — did the U.S. hit a very unlucky stretch in 1933? NBC6 Hurricane Specialist John Morales says not necessarily.
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Idalia's impacts: John Morales looks at what Florida can expect from dangerous hurricane
NBC6 hurricane specialist John Morales looks at what impacts Florida can expect from Hurricane Idalia.