My last night at WDAM was Friday night. It has been a wild ride these last seven years. A lot of tornadoes. Like, too many. A few tropical storms. Even a few hurricanes. Floods. Oh, man, so many floods. If someone would’ve told me that I would deal with so much weather in seven years that I’d have difficulty discerning between events, I would’ve told you that you were crazy. I love weather, I can remember weather events like the back of my hand.
And yet, here we are.
It was a honor to serve the South Mississippi community. But, as I learned from Star Trek:
Mother Nature even decided that I needed to ‘be on my toes’ on my last night. That meant there was the potential for severe weather. Thankfully, so far, the damage hasn’t been widespread from the rain and wind.
Airing of Grievances
But now that I’m no longer on TV, It is like that line from the Festivus episode of Seinfeld.
Ha! Okay, well, maybe not. I’ve actually been really humbled by all of you who have taken time out of your day to say goodbye. You didn’t have to do that. And that means a lot.
I have some good news to pass along, given all of the interest from everyone, I’m not fully leaving your lives.
And, while I’m using GIFs and Memes, here is an idea about what to expect going forward:
And actually, if I am being completely honest, I may be more involved here on the blog in the next few months.
I’m going to continue to produce forecasts for the area and I will likely be trying to expand your access to local forecasts in the next few weeks / months. I will still try to produce a daily tropical update for you guys all summer, and I will continue to try and give as much advance warning for incoming dangerous weather.
Thanks to Dr. Kim Wood up at Mississippi State, I’ve been working on a few ways to expand your access to forecast graphics, too.
Will there be days when the site isn’t updated? Yes. Will there be days when the site isn’t updated when significant weather is on the horizon? No.
No TV? No app? No problem.
I won’t be on TV, but I’m betting you may still see just as much of me. I’m still considering making an app, but for now I’m just going to continue working on this website. But there is a way to turn my site into an “app” on your phone.
The easiest way to know you’ve got the latest forecast is to go to the home page, http://nickelblock.com and then go through the steps in the above video. And it will add a link to the site on your home screen and you’ll only be a tap away from the latest forecast.
Then as I expand the pages with updated info, you can save those pages, too. Real quick acess for you guys to the latest data, that is the goal.
And, now that I’m not on TV, I don’t have a ton of overhead to worry about supporting. All I have to do is find a way to pay for the servers and bandwidth every month! So, if you are a local business who wants some publicity on some of these posts…. shoot me an email!
On a personal note…
I really do want to thank everyone for the outpouring of support the last few weeks. You are all very, very kind. And you’ve made this meteorologist feel rather loved.
I want to take a few seconds to help clear up to rumors and – potential – misconceptions, too.
I chose to leave WDAM. I got a great offer from a company in Houston, Texas to do the forecast for them. I couldn’t say no. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. No one at wDAM forced me out, we are all still friends, and they are all great people.
I’m leaving TV. Also by choice. I have always been a bit uncomfortable being a “TV guy” and this move is actually one I’ve been looking forward to for a while. I don’t think I fit in on TV well. And the “TV weather person” culture of flashy graphics, alert days, and keep-you-watching language is not (as some of you may have noticed over the years) a place I feel comfortable. I can do it, sure. But that isn’t who I am.
I’m keeping my facebook pages and will continue to post on the blog. One of the deals I was able to work with both WDAM and my new employer is allowing me to continue to update the facebook page and this site with forecast information for south Mississippi.
Pineapple belongs a pizza. I love Hawaiian pizza. With pineapples.
Thanks for your continuing updates. You will certainly be missed but I wish you the best on your new adventure.
Thanks so much, Nick, for all your hard work over the last 7 years. We really appreciate you, and I hope you’ll find this new job a better fit. Also just wanted to recommend Patreon if you’re looking for a way to help fund your blog/forecasting endeavors going forward!
Again, thanks for your calm, reasonable way of presenting even the most unsettling of weather situations. Your rational approach and your explaining of why things work the way they work really helped calm alot of anxieties. Best of luck to you!
I am so happy that we will be able to get your updated and see how you are doing! I will miss hearing your voice on WDAM! Safe travels in the next chapter!
A big yes to Hawaiian pizza! I have truly enjoyed your lessons on meteorology. When something frightens you, the best thing to do is find out all about it. Thank you so very much and wishing you the best of luck in your new endeavor.
Thanks for all your hard work. We’re going to miss you! Best of luck in your next adventure.
I’ve appreciated your diligence during bad weather to keep us informed. While you will be greatly missed, I wish you much happiness and success in the future.
Thank you for being a leader in the Hattiesburg community. So glad you found your dream job. God speed in pursuit of your dreams. Come back soon.
Chisolm/Hattiesburg
Thank you for your dedication in helping to calm a lot of anxieties. When our weather was bad we could always count on you to keep us informed. I am so thankful to know that you will continue to keep us as safe as humanly possible. And I’m thankful that we can just still hear from you. You did a lot for us and I will forever be grateful. Best wishes in your new job.
Thank you again. I have already put your link on my phone. Please put whatever you put on Facebook on your blog. I am not on Facebook and as Aerosmith sings “I don’t want to miss a thing.”
Congratulations on your new position Nick! You will be missed here, but I intend to follow you on your blog and all the ways you post!
Congratulations on your new position!! We are sorry to see you go, but, onward and upward as the old saying goes! Seriously, we are so proud of you and for you! Wishing you continued success in all your future endeavors. We will be rooting for you as you journey forward with your life. So happy that you have this blog so we can follow you and continue to heed your warnings l! We think you are an asset to any company you work for! Thank you again for all you do!
Thank you! You may not think you are a “TV person”, but you were a very reassuring person on my TV when the weather was unsettled. Best of luck on future endeavors and I’m glad you’ll still be updating on your blog. I too love Hawaiian pizza and to paraphrase a bit, Happy Weatherius to us all!