About NWS Miami
An inside look at the National Weather Service office in Miami that serves South Florida
The Basics
NWS Mission
The National Weather Service (NWS) is a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the United States Department of Commerce (DOC). The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Miami, Florida is part of the Southern Region of the NWS.
The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, water, and climate data, forecasts, and warnings for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy.
What We Do
At the Miami Forecast Office, our team of meteorologists analyzes current weather conditions and computer model data to produce specialized weather and water forecasts for South Florida. When hazardous weather materializes, meteorologists issue watches warnings, and advisories in an effort to protect life and property. We leverage invaluable partnerships with emergency management, local media, and the public to gather and disseminate critical weather information.
We are lucky enough to share a building with the National Hurricane Center, which makes for great collaboration between the offices!
Where We Forecast For
NWS Miami is responsible for 7 counties in South Florida, as well as all of Lake Okeechobee. Additionally, we forecast out to 60nm over the Atlantic and Gulf Waters.
This forecast area covers over 25,000 square miles (~11K land, ~14K water) with a population of over 6.5 million (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019).
Our Operations
Weather happens around the clock. NWS Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) operate on a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week rotating schedule. At any time, there are at least 2 meteorologists on staff. When adverse weather is expected or occurring, additional staff may be called into the office.
During a week's "normal business hours", additional meteorologists, technicians/support staff, and managers may be in the office.
Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAFs)
In addition to public forecasts, NWS Miami provides specialized forecasts for the following airports in South Florida:
Miami International Airport (MIA) Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE) Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (OPF) Miami Executive Airport (TMB) Naples Airport (APF)
Upper Air Program (Weather Balloon)
NWS Miami is one of the 92 NWS Upper Air Observation sites in the country. Each day, twice a day, weather balloons are launched with a radiosonde to collect valuable weather data in the atmosphere. These weather balloons rise about 19 miles high and take about 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete. Data obtained by the radiosonde to transmitted to a computer in the NWS office and provides the input for computer-based weather prediction models.
Our History
A general timeline of NWS Miami. (Detailed History - www.weather.gov/mfl/floridahistorypage )
Jupiter Lighthouse complex, 1908. Weather Bureau is the rightmost building. (Left) Gables One Tower on South Dixie Highway, WSFO Miami/NHC home 1979-1995 (Middle) Miami Weather Forecast Office and the National Hurricane Center on the FIU campus, 1995-present (Right)
Who We Are
NWS Miami is managed by the Meteorologist-in-Charge (MIC, Robert Molleda). Additional management personnel includes the Warning Coordination Meteorologist who leads the local outreach program (WCM, vacant), and the Science and Operations Officer who runs the local training program (SOO, Donal Harrigan). The Observation Program Leader (OPL, Barry Baxter) is in charge of the data acquisition program.
Operational personnel includes 13 meteorologists (6 lead meteorologists, 7 meteorologists) whose responsibilities include issuing hazardous weather watches, warnings and statements, and public, aviation, fire, and marine weather forecasts and discussions.
The Miami office is supported by a talented team including the Administrative Assistant (ASA, Christina McNamara), Electronics Systems Analyst (ESA, Tommy Young), Information Technology Officer (ITO, Juan Agosto-Perez), and 2 Electronics Technicians (ET, Neal Lynch & Roy Pimentel).
Office Roles & Responsibilities
01 / 06
Team MFL
Our staff hail from a variety of universities and military backgrounds across the United States! With a plethora of different experiences and knowledge, our staff is able to learn from each other and share ideas to build a strong team.
Staff Universities & Military Backgrounds
Staff Bios!
Robert Molleda - Meteorologist In Charge
Robert Molleda is the Meteorologist-in-Charge at the National Weather Service’s Miami/South Florida Forecast Office. He is a native of Miami, and his interest in weather started at a young age with the occasionally chilly winter cold fronts and Hurricane David in 1979. Robert received an Associate of Arts Degree from Miami Dade College (1988), and a Bachelor’s Degree in Atmospheric Science from Florida State University (1991). Robert began his NWS career at the Miami forecast office as a student intern in 1989 and entry-level meteorologist (Meteorologist Intern) in 1991, then was promoted to a forecaster position at NWS Knoxville/Tri Cities, TN in 1994. He returned to NWS Miami as a forecaster in 1995, then in 1998 transferred to the National Hurricane Center’s Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch (TAFB) as a marine forecaster and Hurricane Support Meteorologist. In 2005, Robert was selected as the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) for the Miami/South Florida Forecast Office, a position he served until May 2024 when he became the Meteorologist-in-Charge (MIC) at the Miami office. Robert’s career has taken him through many South Florida tropical cyclones, from Category 5 Hurricane Andrew in 1992 to the record-breaking 2005 and 2020 hurricane seasons. He has worked in every aspect of hurricane forecasting, from assisting hurricane forecasters with data collection to writing forecasts, as well as conducting local and national media interviews, and briefing government officials on expected storm impacts. He is also intimately familiar with South Florida weather forecasting, with experience ranging from aviation and marine forecasting to public and fire weather. As WCM he was responsible for managing the NWS warning and impact decision support services programs in South Florida which involved frequent interaction with core partners in emergency management/public safety and the media, as well as leading the local NWS public awareness and outreach program. As MIC, Robert is responsible for overseeing and directing the provision of weather warnings, forecasts, services, and support activities of the Miami forecast office to the general population, government entities, aviation, marine, fire, and other commercial interests in South Florida.
Robert Garcia - Lead Meteorologist
Robert Garcia is a lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service forecast office (WFO) in Miami, FL. Born and raised in South Florida, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology from Florida State University (2010) and a graduate certificate in Geographic Information Systems (2013). He began his career with the National Weather Service as a student trainee at the Miami office in 2009. He served as a meteorologist intern at the NWS WFO in Peachtree City, Ga., from 2010 to 2012. He was a general forecaster at the Tampa Bay Area NWS WFO in Ruskin, Fla., from 2012 to 2016 before returning home to South Florida as a lead forecaster at WFO Miami / South Florida. Robert is a member of the “Building Leaders for a Solid Tomorrow” (BLAST) class of 2016. His professional interests include radar meteorology, hydrology, and public outreach.
In his spare time, he can usually be found at Marlins Park enjoying a game, cheering on the Seminoles, biking on Hollywood Beach, and exploring Central Florida's theme parks. Robert is a member of the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association.
Chuck Caracozza - Lead Meteorologist
Chuck Caracozza is a Lead Meteorologist with the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Miami. Chuck grew up in New Jersey and received his Bachelor's degree in Meteorology from Rutgers University in 2003. While a student at Rutgers University, he was President of the Cook College Meteorology Club which won the AMS Student Chapter of the Year award for the 2002/2003 academic year. Upon graduation, Chuck was employed with Accuweather in State College, Pennsylvania where he was a Broadcast Meteorologist from 2003 to 2007. It was in November of 2007 when he moved to South Florida to take a Meteorologist Position with the National Weather Service in Miami. Chuck was promoted to Lead Meteorologist in 2023.
During his time with the National Weather Service, Chuck has led the weather radio program for the office and has been the Editor in Chief for the Tropical winds Newsletter since 2015. He has also helped train the staff to become certified to take upper air observations and helped narrate a Hurricane Andrew 25th Anniversary Special produced by Anthony Reynes, Multimedia Program Director.
Chuck's personal interests involve traveling, spending time at the beach, watching football, and spending time with his friends and family.
Luke Culver - Lead Meteorologist
Luke Culver is a Lead Meteorologist with the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Miami. Luke grew up in Upstate New York, where it is easy to develop a passion for weather with four seasons and a wide variety of common weather events (lake-effect snow, Nor'easters, and severe thunderstorms, to name a few). Luke took a unique path in his collegiate studies, with backgrounds in meteorology and psychology through SUNY Oswego and SUNY at Buffalo. After graduating in 2016, he worked as a Scientist for AWSTruepower, a renewable energy forecasting company in Albany, NY. In 2019, he joined the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Fairbanks, Alaska as a meteorologist, where he was involved with various office projects and teams and expanded his weather knowledge. After 3 years, he gave up snow, cold, and the aurora to move to South Florida and join the team at NWS Miami in June 2022. In November 2024, Luke was promoted to Lead Meteorologist. In Luke's free time, he enjoys outdoor activities, photography, watching sports, and traveling with his family and friends.
Shawn Bhatti - Meteorologist
While Shawn was a Pathways Trainee during the summer of his senior year at Florida International University, he officially came aboard as a Meteorologist for NWS Miami in July 2020. Shawn was always interested in a science-based career, yet he never realized the opportunity for a career in Meteorology. He initially stumbled into this possibility as a Meteorological and Oceanographic Forecast/Analyst in the US Marine Corps. Holding that position for 5 years (2012-2017), he enjoyed the operational and planning rigor that is commensurate with weather forecasting. Seeking to continue in the operational field, he worked as a Fleet Weather Officer for Atmospheric Technology Services Company for 1 year while taking college courses. He later transferred to FIU to complete his Bachelor's Degree in Meteorology, with a minor in Mathematics.
Shawn's particular interest in the field of meteorology involves the process of obtaining and using data to more accurately predict the weather. He is also interested in programming and modeling applications and wishes to develop his knowledge and skill-set simultaneously while working as a forecaster.
Sammy Hadi - Meteorologist
Sammy joined NWS Miami in October 2020, he has been passionate about Meteorology since the young age of four. He aspires to inspire the next generation of Meteorologists, and to help educate and inform the community about Weather and Climate Change. He has previously held internships at the National Weather Service Miami, The Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch at the National Hurricane Center, the International Hurricane Research Center at Florida International University and Sinclair Broadcasting's WPEC (CBS 12) in West Palm Beach as a Broadcast Meteorologist Intern.
Sammy obtained a Bachelor of Science in Atmospheric Science from Florida International University in May 2017, as well as a Master of Science in Applied Meteorology from Mississippi State University in August 2019. He also completed a Graduate Certificate in Disaster Management and Emergency Services from the University of Florida in May 2020.
Ana Torres-Vazquez - Meteorologist
Ana was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where she experienced tropical storms and hurricanes from an early age. It was these experiences that sparked her interest in meteorology as a child, and led her to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez (2016), and a Master of Science degree in Atmospheric Sciences from North Carolina State University (2018).
After graduation, Ana worked as a research scientist at the US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development in Durham, NC from 2019-2021. While there, she helped study the ability of coupled chemistry and meteorological numerical models to represent ozone pollution events across the United States.
She began her career as a forecaster with the National Weather Service at Miami in the fall of 2021, where her duties include analyzing and assessing the daily weather to provide forecasting products for South Florida and the adjacent waters. Her professional interests include tropical meteorology, climatology, public outreach and research.
In her spare time, Ana loves to read, knit and bake, as well as go to concerts and spend time with her loved ones and her two dogs, Bilbo and Hamilton.
George Rizzuto - Meteorologist
George Rizzuto is a meteorologist at the NWS Miami, after joining the team in 2021. George received a dual bachelor’s degree in meteorology and marine science from the University of Miami (2020), and a Master’s of Professional Science in weather forecasting from the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science (2021).
Originally from Chicago, where severe weather strikes every Spring, George’s fascination with weather began at an early age. Experiencing many tornado warnings led to extreme anxiety over severe weather and checking the forecast multiple times each day. Anxiety turned into an interest in learning about weather and what causes the severe events that terrified him. This interest only grew with time and led to him pursuing a career in the field upon graduation from high school. During his time in undergraduate and graduate school, George interned with the Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch (TAFB) at the National Hurricane Center and worked on a number of projects focused on African Easterly Waves to better understand why some waves develop into hurricanes and others do not to improve long-range forecasting. Living in Miami and experiencing tropical weather first-hand, it is only natural that tropical weather has now become a strong research interest of his.
Aside from meteorology, George’s interests include saltwater aquariums and reef-keeping, staying active by running (or inactive by tanning on the beach), and spending time with his two dogs, Theo and Nora.
Will Redman - Meteorologist
Will is a Meteorologist for NWS Miami, and joined the team in June 2022.
Will grew up in Milwaukee, WI where his interest in weather began at the early age of seven. Specifically, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes drew most of his attention, and this expanded to include hurricanes shortly thereafter. As he grew up, he knew he wanted to become a meteorologist not only to forecast the weather but to assist in public safety from natural disasters. Will received his Bachelor’s Degree in Meteorology from Central Michigan University in 2018 before working in the private sector for 4 years after college. He worked as an Operational Meteorologist in Washington D.C. from 2018-2020 and in Seattle, WA from 2020-2022 before landing his dream position as a National Weather Service Meteorologist in Miami. His experiences prior to the National Weather Service primarily consisted of aviation forecasting for military contractors in Maryland and mountainous road weather forecasting in the Pacific Northwest. He looks forward to applying his past experiences to the National Weather Service and serving south Florida.
Outside of work in his free time, he loves hiking, and traveling the world, and is a big sports fan. He roots hard for the professional Milwaukee sports teams and referees basketball for the Miami area while also being an avid tennis player.
Staff from the Past!
All good things must come to an end! Here's a showcase of our wonderful staff that have since moved on from our office!
Dr. Pablo Santos - Former Meteorologist in Charge (2010-2023)
Pablo Santos, Ph.D., is the former Meteorologist-in-Charge (MIC) at NWS Miami. Santos earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the University of Puerto Rico (1992) and a Master of Science (1995) and Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science (2003) from the Florida State University.
He began his NWS career in 1995 as a Meteorologist Intern at Jacksonville, Florida. He became a forecaster there in 1998 and was promoted to Science and Operations Officer (SOO) at the NWS Office in Miami, Florida, in 2000. In June 2010, Santos was promoted to MIC of the NWS Office in Miami, FL. In April 2023, Santos transitioned to the position of Branch Chief of the National Hurricane Center's Technology and Services Branch.
As a SOO, Santos made significant contributions to the NWS including advances in atmospheric and marine modeling, and leading efforts for the development of new tropical products such as the hurricane threats and impacts graphics. As MIC, he led the expansion of NWS Miami decision support services to core government partners, co-led development efforts that ended with the implementation of the new storm surge watch/warning, contributed to efforts leading to the evolution of new products, services and training material in the NWS tropical and marine programs, and served as the NWS lead of the Florida Governor Hurricane Conference (FLGHC) in charge of developing the conference’s NWS training program.
Santos is member of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and the National Weather Association (NWA). He served for 8 years as member of the NWA’s Remote Sensing Committee and as member of the editorial team for its Electronic Journal of Operational Meteorology from 2008 to 2010. Santos has published 12 refereed papers and has authored/co-authored more than 60 conference papers. He has had the honor of being conferred with the AMS and NWA Operational Group Awards, the NWA Operational Achievement Individual Award, the NWA Larry R. Johnson Special Award, the NOAA Administrator’s Award on two occasions, the Department of Commerce’s Silver Medal, and the NWS Southern Region Director’s Awards in several occasions. Santos lives in South Florida with his wife and two children.
Activities and Outreach
Decision Support Services (DSS)
DSS simply entails providing forecast information specific to our partners' needs. DSS can be provided in response to an impactful weather event, or on a routine basis to support partner decision-making. There is a great deal of emphasis on DSS at NWS Miami, as it is one of the most vital services that fulfill the NWS mission of protecting life or property. Our meteorologists can provide DSS on-site or virtually. Some recent DSS activities include: forecast briefings for Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University football games, daily forecast briefings for NASCAR events at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and on-site support during hurricane events at Emergency Operation Centers across local counties.
Media Interviews
NWS Miami prioritizes having an excellent partnership with local media. Staff frequently conduct phone, in-person, or virtual interviews with both local and national media to discuss weather forecasts, warnings, and past events. The strong partnership allows for consistent and accurate messaging of impactful weather information.
Skywarn Spotter Classes
Have you always wanted to become a NWS SKYWARN Storm Spotter? Are you looking for something for your community group or classroom to get involved in? Are you a South Florida resident? NWS Miami would like to invite you to become a SKYWARN Storm Spotter!
Outreach and Educational Presentations
The staff at NWS Miami enjoy going out and sharing information about what they do and their knowledge about the weather! They often have informational booths set up at local fairs or events and provide in-person or virtual presentations to classrooms at all levels of education.
Past Weather Event Reviews
One of the most important aspects of weather forecasting is learning from previous weather events. NWS Miami staff frequently conduct case studies on impactful weather events across South Florida, attempting to better understand the meteorological patterns causing these events, as well as the impacts they have on life and property. For events that cause significant damage, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, or flooding, in-person surveying may be conducted by staff.
Tropical Winds Newsletter
Each summer and winter, the staff at NWS Miami put together a newsletter featuring articles on a variety of relevant topics, including:
- Case studies on impactful weather events
- Reviews and outlooks of wet, dry, and hurricane seasons
- Weather preparedness and educational information
- Events that NWS Miami is hosting or participating in (past or upcoming)
Additional Links
Looking to join our team?
If there are no vacancies available at NWS Miami, it means job announcements have not been posted yet. Please check back at a later time.
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