With over two decades of experience forecasting Florida’s severe weather, Jeff Berardelli is WFLA News Channel 8’s Chief Meteorologist and Climate Specialist and leader of the Max Defender 8 Weather Team. You can see him on the 4, 5, 6, 7 and 11 p.m. shows.
This is Berardelli’s second time serving Tampa Bay area viewers, having last worked here from 1997 to 2003 as a meteorologist and fishing/boating reporter. Berardelli considers his return to be a homecoming, as coming back to make Tampa Bay his permanent home has been a long-time goal of his.
Berardelli returns to the Tampa Bay area by way of New York City where, for the past few years, he served as CBS News Meteorologist and Climate Specialist. In this capacity, he delivered weather for the network’s CBS Mornings show, worked as a climate correspondent traveling the country reporting on environmental stories and provided scientific analysis for various platforms.
Prior to that, he served as lead meteorologist at WPEC in West Palm Beach, weekend meteorologist at WFOR in Miami and weekend meteorologist at WCBS in New York City.
Berardelli has been obsessed with the weather all the way since the age of 3. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Atmospheric Sciences from Cornell University in the 1990s. Recently, after witnessing the recent spike in extreme weather, he went back to school to study Climate, earning a master’s degree in Climate and Society from Columbia University. He feels, as the climate continues to change, understanding and communicating the impact on extreme weather and society is an integral part of being a TV meteorologist today.
In his off time, Berardelli loves to boat, kayak, fish and scuba dive. He lives in Tampa with his wife Christy, newborn baby girl Grace and Labrador Retriever mix Millie. The whole family is thrilled to take advantage of all the Bay Area has to offer, especially on the water.
