BUFFALO, N.Y. — Elyse Smith is a Meteorologist at WGRZ in Buffalo, NY.
After graduating from Valparaiso University with a Bachelors of Science in Meteorology in 2017, Elyse began her career in central Missouri covering everything from ice storms to tornadoes in and out of the television studio.
During her two and a half years at KRCG-TV, she specialized in live weather reporting and writing unique, weather-related history stories.
One of the biggest events Elyse covered was the Jefferson City tornado which occurred just before midnight on May 22, 2019. That day, Elyse had the responsibility of forecasting before the storm, then assisting neighbors taking shelter during the event. Living in such close proximity to the tornado’s path, Elyse was one of the first on the scene of what would be categorized as high-end EF-3 tornado in Jefferson City. Her reporting from the storm ravaged area was featured in the Washington Post after participating in 14-hour-long coverage of the storm and its aftermath. Elyse, along with KRCG’s Chief Meteorologist Zach Paul, were nominated in Missouri Magazine’s “Best Of” contest and subsequently named as Local Heroes for their work covering the dangerous weather that night.
Growing up in the Chicagoland area, Elyse is no stranger to severe weather, winter storms or lake effect snow. Her interest in weather was sparked by a tornado siren that was next to her backyard at her childhood home. Her curiosity for the weather never ceased, eventually leading her to pursue a degree at Valparaiso University in Northwest Indiana. This allowed her to experience lake effect snow for the first time, which she acknowledges as a truly exciting weather phenomena.
Besides her day-to-day work at WGRZ, Elyse is also very involved with the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and National Weather Association (NWA). Most recently, she was appointed to a three-year term on the Planning Committee for the Early Career Leadership Academy of the AMS after graduating from the program as the youngest inductee in the 2019 class. And, when she’s not focused on the forecast or furthering her connection with the weather community, she can be found in the yoga studio, watching football, or learning (attempting) a new recipe. Elyse is excited to be part of the WGRZ family, and the greater Buffalo community! You can email Elyse at: Elyse.Smith@wgrz.com; follow her on Twitter or Facebook.
