Q: When did you decide to be a meteorologist?
AB: I was working at Local 4 as a traffic reporter when I realized that I could blend my love for math and science with the broadcasting field. I was in my late-20s and already earned a Master of Science degree and decided to go back to school online through Mississippi State to work towards a certification in Broadcast Meteorology. I would report traffic for the early morning show and go home and hit the books each afternoon for three years. It was such a blessing to be working amongst some of my greatest mentors at the time like Paul Gross and Chuck Gaidica.

Q: What are some of the most challenging aspects of being a Meteorologist?
AB: Simply predicting the future. If meteorology was a perfect science, I would be able to also predict the lottery numbers too, right? All jokes aside, even though technology has come so far and truly makes forecasting easier than many years ago, there are still a lot of times where weather data is not always in complete agreement, and you are forced to make the best educated guess. Microclimates and atmospheric conditions can greatly impact how weather events pan out and there is a lot of pressure to be accurate all the time. For broadcast meteorologists and in particular, female meteorologists, I have found scrutiny of my appearance to be more challenging and troublesome than those challenging the work I do as a scientist. You must have thick skin to work in the broadcasting business because social media makes you more accessible now than ever before and keyboard warriors are not afraid to express negative comments about what you are wearing or even your weight, these are comments I would bet they wouldn’t say if they met you in-person.

Q: Is there any pressure to get the forecast right for big holiday weekends when people make plans dependent upon the weather?
AB: Absolutely, however weather impacts people every day. Every weekend, someone in the area will be having a wedding. Every day there are people who make a living doing work outside, so I think it’s important to remember that every day is important to someone and treat every forecast with the same attention to detail.

Q: Can you share with our audience one of your most memorable weather events you’ve covered?
AB: I remember going to cover tornado damage early on in my meteorological career. Thankfully, there were no injuries with this specific tornado, but the destruction was nothing short of fascinating. There was a detached garage that was stripped away of all four walls, but glass Christmas figurines were still intact and unmoved inside. A block over from that home, the wall insulation of a factory plant was sucked out of the walls and sprayed all over the nearby trees like they were coated with cotton candy, but the factory was still standing. 

Q: Is there one season of the year that's easier or harder to forecast?
AB: Every season has its own set of challenges, but I would say fall seems to come up a little easier than other months. Spring is incredibly fickle with the temperature swings and the impact that the temperatures of the Great Lakes can have on our weather. The day-to-day of summer is rather easy when you get into a dry pattern, but summer is also a severe weather season. That’s when you can get quick spin-up tornados, damaging winds, or severe thunderstorms. Winter is its own beast. I prefer to forecast snowstorms as you have more lead time to forecast them, and they are slower to develop as opposed to the summer storms that are quick hitters and typically much more dangerous.

Q: How many times are you out in public and have people come up and complain about or ask you questions about the weather?
AB: If I had a dollar every time I have heard “Must be nice to be a meteorologist, you can be wrong and still keep your job,” I could probably retire early. I always come back with, “Yea, and if I was a baseball player with a .300 batting average, I would be making a lot more money to be accurate 30% of the time.”

Q: Do you get an adrenaline rush when all those watches and warnings start popping up?
AB: Absolutely. In June of 2022, I was working the evening shift in Columbus, OH where we had five confirmed tornadoes. I remember being on-air with live non-stop storm coverage for nearly three hours. In the middle of the chaos, you feel your adrenaline set in knowing that you are the source people turn to when keeping their family safe. But when an event like that is done, you feel as if you have run a marathon.

Q: Do you have any advice you can share for those women who may want to pursue a career as a Meteorologist? 
AB: If it’s in your heart, do it. My advice to anyone, no matter what career they want to pursue, is that if you love what you do, you’ll never “work” another day because your job will never feel like work. It will be your passion. As for women who are interested in pursuing careers in STEM, there are so many other trailblazing women today in these fields that I hope young girls see them and feel like they have a seat at the table too. I remember there being a young girl in Ohio that would pretend to give the forecast when she saw me on TV. That was a far greater accomplishment to me than any plaque or trophy I have received for my work. I never saw women on TV reporting the weather when I was growing up, so it wasn’t a dream I was able to envision for myself until I was into my adult life. To know that little girl in Ohio could envision herself walking in my shoes after watching me, well let’s just say it doesn’t get any better than that.

Q: What is a typical day like for you? 
B: During the week, I wake up at 2AM to get ready for work. Contrary to what many people think, we do our own hair and makeup, so I get fully ready at home. Our shift starts at 3:30AM, so I am looking at weather data as soon as I wake up because once I get to work, I must hit the ground running. We have a 3:45AM editorial meeting in our newsroom where I brief the team with the daily forecast. I then make graphics and update our website before I start recording forecasts at 4:15AM. These are forecasts that air during the Today Show. Otherwise, all my forecasts are live starting at 4:30AM. I am on our Local 4 Morning Show from 4:30AM to 8AM with more live cutins until 9AM. From 9AM until noon, I am either pre-producing 3-D weather graphics to use later in the week or putting together weather stories for other newscasts and Local4+. I round out my shift by forecasting live in our noon newscast.

Q: Tell us how you manage your work life balance with your busy schedule.
B: I call myself a "Momorologist" because my life is a careful balance of being the best mother I can be to my two children while being a trustworthy meteorologist for everyone in Metro Detroit. The beauty of working the early morning shift is that I work most of my shift before my kids wake up. That allows me to be fully present with my work while I am on-air and then as soon as we are off-air in the morning, I FaceTime my son and daughter which is right around the time they wake up. Technology is a blessing to help us stay so well connected. Then I am home before my son gets out of school and I am home all afternoon with both of my children, so even though I work full-time, I can be present with my kids who are both under the age of 4 most of their waking hours. I am a bit sleep deprived, but the benefit of being with my kids far outweighs the lack of sleep!

Ten Things About Meteorologist Ashlee Baracy

1. What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?
What's this thing you call "free time?" Ha! In the rare occasion I have a free moment, I nap! There is never enough sleep on this schedule paired with having two toddlers at home.

2. What was the last book you really got into? 
I am currently reading "Closer to Home" by Ginger Zee. I also loved her book, "Natural Disaster." She is a huge role model to me given that she is the first female chief meteorologist on a network, she is from Michigan and balances life as a mother of two. I admire her both personally and professionally. 


3. What’s the most amazing adventure you’ve ever been on? 
Being a parent. Every day is the best adventure watching my children grow.


4. Among your friends, what are you best known for? 
I grew up dancing competitively and even danced on the University of Michigan Dance Team, so my lifelong friends are rooted from my "dance days." I am sure they associate me with dance or even my years being involved in the Miss America Organization as a former Miss Michigan. Some of my best friends are from my involvement with the pageant. 

5. What’s your favorite app on your phone? 
The 4Warn Weather App! It truly is the best weather app I have ever used. It has so many useful features on radar, plus you can get school closings, track hurricanes, and get notifications when lightning or rain is close to your area. I not only like it as a meteorologist, but it is so helpful for my daily life outside of work!


6. What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve done? 
Jumped out of an airplane. I have been skydiving twice!


7. What’s your favorite quote or saying? 
If you see it and you believe it, you can achieve it.


8. Would you rather cook or order in? 
Cook! My husband is a phenomenal cook and I enjoy cooking together. He handles the grill and I knock out all the sides and desserts in the kitchen. I think we make a great culinary duo.


9. What was your favorite subject in school? 
Math, Science and Public Speaking.


10. Cake or pie? 
Pie! I’m not a huge fan of frosting, but I am known for my homemade Oreo pie. It quite possibly might be part of my legacy.