WISH-TV’s Stephanie Mead Talks Career & Exploring Broad Ripple
Writer / Matt Keating
Photographer / Amy Payne
Stephanie Mead, a member of the WISH-TV Storm Track 8 Team, loves keeping things nice and cool.
She enjoys brisk weather, cold drinks, crisp ice cream, exploring Broad Ripple and downtown Indianapolis and staying cool during the hot summer months.
“I love snow and enjoy the winter months,” Mead says. “I like the warm patio weather in the spring for about a week or two, and then I miss the cooler temperatures.”
Mead, a Chicago native, has been at WISH-TV reporting on Morning Weather/Traffic for a little over a year. We talked with her about a wide variety of subjects.
“I thoroughly enjoy working at WISH-TV,” Mead says. “Everyone is always so composed, professional and dedicated to their jobs. There are a lot of people at WISH that have been there for several years, and they know how to handle any difficult situation. They also know very intricate details about the Indianapolis community.”
Mead credits WISH-TV Meteorologist Randy Ollis as being a great influence on her. Ollis has been with WISH since 1984.
“Randy has been terrific,” Mead says. “He’s so knowledgeable about a lot of things, and he knows so much about Indianapolis and weather forecasting.”
During her time at WISH-TV, Mead has grown used to forecasting all kinds of weather and storms.
“Weather forecasting in the early morning can be more difficult,” Mead says. “You have to be ready for anything. I enjoy getting people ready for their day and preparing them for any kind of weather.”
During the weekdays, Mead’s alarm goes off at 1 a.m., and she gets to WISH-TV at 2 a.m.
“It can be a tough schedule to adjust to, and it takes a while for your body to get used to it,” Mead says. “Some people at the station say it takes about six cups of coffee to really get going. After work, I usually take a nap, and then go to the gym to wake up again.”
A Northern Illinois graduate, Mead previously worked at KMVT and KSVT in Twin Falls, Idaho and at WGBA in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
“I dabbled in skiing when I was in Green Bay,” Mead says. “It was terrifying, but I I enjoyed it. My mom was worried and told me not to break anything.”
During her time there, she covered severe storms and weather events in Northeast Wisconsin, including a blizzard.
“One time, the snow was so bad in Green Bay, the station had to send people to pick me up,” Mead says.”We had 13 and a half inches of snow, and the roads in my apartment complex had not been plowed. Cars were off the road everywhere. As bad as the weather can get, I still love how beautiful the snow is.”
When Mead isn’t working, she likes exploring different restaurants and breweries around Broad Ripple.
“I’m mostly a homebody,” Mead says. “But I like to go out with friends and try different restaurants and breweries. I love Sun King, and I also love Baxbeau Pizza in Broad Ripple and going places in downtown Indianapolis I’m a Chicago girl, so I love pizza too.”
Mead enjoys going to baseball, basketball and football games as well.
“My family is from Chicago and visits a lot,” she says. “I love Monument Circle and Indianapolis Indians games. I love that Victory Field is right in the middle of downtown Indianapolis. I’ve also really enjoyed going to Indiana Pacer games and Indianapolis Colts games. As much as I like cooler weather, I’m grateful for watching a Colts game indoors at Lucas Oil Stadium. I once watched a Green Bay Packers game outside when it was nine below zero, and it’s a big difference to be watching a game indoors.”
Mead says she particularly enjoys “The WISH-TV Weather Kid of the Week” — a segment that gives children interested in meteorology a chance to show off their weather skills.
“They do the segment live with us and really get a taste of what we do,” she says. “They are very enthusiastic, ask a lot of great questions and are ready to learn about weather forecasting.”
In her downtime, Mead enjoys exploring Broad Ripple and, during the summer, indulging in ice cream.
“Ice cream is my Kryptonite,” Mead says. “I love BRIC Ice Cream in Broad Ripple. I usually have four different kinds of ice cream in my freezer at home, and I also enjoy trying different ice cream places all over Indianapolis. Butter Pecan and Cookies and Cream are two of my favorite flavors.”
You can follow Stephanie on Twitter at @StephanieMeadWX.
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