Chris Azzolini: Staten Island’s 13-Year-Old Meteorologist
Chris Azzolini loves all things weather. He’s a 13-year-old aspiring meteorologist who not only shares helpful weather forecasts on social media, but has even appeared on national TV to discuss his fondness for forecasting!
The Oakwood teen loves everything about weather, especially all severe weather that he covers for the public primarily on his YouTube channel, Chris the Hurricane Tracker. He covers all tornadoes, hurricanes, severe thunderstorms-–a lot of intense weather events!
Chris Azzolini: Forecasting on FOX Weather
Chris also has an X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter), and that’s how FOX Weather found his videos, his mom Julie explained, adding that he loves science class in school, especially anything that has to do with weather.
“He loves to talk to the teachers and teach his classmates about the weather,” Julie said.
It was when Chris was at Oakwood Beach covering Tropical Storm Ophelia this year for his X channel that prompted FOX staff to reach out to the young storm tracker to invite him to their studio. He has since done three shows for FOX where he gave helpful and informative forecasts and discussed his interest in weather, including storms.
“Family and friends are so proud of him because of his passion for weather,” Julie said. “We all see his love for weather jump out on the screen. Many people call me to ask Chris about weather, especially when they have travel plans. We are so proud of how well he did at FOX Weather.”
Tracking weather is something Chris has been doing for a few years now. It was in 2019 when he was watching Hurricane Dorian footage with his grandmother that his interest in storms began.
“He was very interested in weather right after that, and he wanted to watch more of the hurricane. He loved the graphics about it,” Julie said.
It was in 2020, after he was watching and studying Dorian footage, that Chris started his YoutTube channel. His content includes many videos of severe weather. He uses radar and satellite to cover tornadoes, hurricanes and other weather events. He also live streams on his channel anything about severe weather in the United States.
But most of all, he goes out into the elements if there is severe weather in Staten Island. He wants to keep his Staten Island neighbors informed about any floods, severe winds, thunderstorms, and also tropical storms or hurricanes, mom Julie explained.
Chris Azzolini: Reporting Weather on Social Media
Chris does almost all of his content producing for YouTube and X by himself, though he does have a friend named David who helps him. He goes out into the storm, gets footage, gives a report, and makes his own graphics. He also uses many weather applications, too.
Most of the equipment he uses is inside his PC, but he also has his own green screen and an emergency weather radio. If there’s a hurricane coming, he’ll track it from the start till it makes landfall.
“I just love getting hit by the wind, and I just love giving forecasts to the public,” Chris said during one of his FOX Weather segments.
Being out in the elements can be dangerous, but Chris always makes sure he’s prepared with safety gear, and Julie goes with him. When he covered Tropical Storm Ophelia this year, he donned a protective rain jacket and used his anemometer, an instrument meteorologists use to measure wind speed and wind pressure.
Needless to say, Chris wants to be a meteorologist when he grows up. And his family and friends support his passion.
To learn more and see some of Chris Azzolini’s storm coverage, check out his YouTube and X channels. You won’t be disappointed!
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