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Gary England

American meteorologist (1939–2025) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gary England
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Gary Alan England (October 3, 1939 – June 10, 2025) was an American meteorologist based in Oklahoma. He became the chief meteorologist for KWTV-DT (channel 9), the CBS-affiliated television station in Oklahoma City, after he began working there in 1972. England was the first on-air meteorologist to alert his viewers of a possible tornado using a commercial Doppler weather radar.[1] He was also known for contributing to the invention of the First Warning map graphic commonly used to show ongoing weather alerts without interrupting regular programming. He was also the Vice President of Corporate Relations and Weather Development at Griffin Communications LLC, the parent company to KWTV.

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Early life and career

Gary Alan England was born on October 3, 1939, in Seiling, Oklahoma, to Hazel and Lesley England.[2] He lived in Enid but was mostly raised in the Seiling area. Despite being interested in pig farming at a young age, he developed an interest with the weather, especially after the 1947 Glazier–Higgins–Woodward tornadoes, which wiped out much of nearby Woodward, and stood out among the variety of memorable experience with western Oklahoma weather.[3] He counted other weather, including tornadoes, blizzards, dust storms, flash floods, and wildfires, as piquing his interest in weather.[4]

After graduating from high school, England joined the U.S. Navy at age 17, and also attended the University of Oklahoma and graduated in 1965 with a B.S. in mathematics and meteorology.[1][5] England then spent four years as a consulting meteorologist and oceanographer with A.H. Glenn and Associates in New Orleans.[6]

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Broadcasting career

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England's first broadcasting job was a short stint at KTOK, an Oklahoma City talk radio station. England began working at KWTV on October 16, 1972.[7][8] A few months later, KWTV introduced the first radar system specifically designed for television[9] and during a live cut-in by England on May 24, 1973 for a tornado warning in Canadian County, Channel 9 viewers saw the radar image of a damaging F4 tornado near Union City in Canadian County which resulted in extensive damage to that small town.[10][11][12] The Union City tornado was also the first comprehensive case study ever on a tornado. It also marks the first time that visual observations of chasers were used in conjunction with Doppler radar data.[13]

England and the firm Enterprise Electronics Corporation were the first to initiate development of the first commercial Doppler weather radar.[1] While the National Weather Service is the only one legally responsible for issuing warnings in the United States, England is credited with issuing the first televised Doppler weather radar bulletin for a tornado, in March 1982.[1] There is a dispute by some sources, as there was an earlier radar bulletin issued by Gil Whitney of WHIO-TV in Dayton, Ohio during the April 3, 1974 Xenia tornado.[7] However, the radar used by WHIO during the Xenia Tornado was a conventional weather radar, not a Dopplerized radar.[14]

In 1990, he helped create First Warning, a state map which appeared in the corner of the television screen, with counties colored in to indicate storm watches and warnings. In 1991, England also helped create Storm Tracker, a computer program that provided the audience with the time of arrival of severe weather.[15] First Warning And Storm Tracker are used nationwide.[16]

On July 23, 2013, KWTV announced that England would be leaving his position at KWTV to become Vice President for Corporate Relations and Weather Development for Griffin Communications, the parent company of KWTV-DT (both Griffin and KWTV are located in the same single-story building).[2][17] England was to be succeeded by David Payne, and England's final day as KWTV head meteorologist would be August 30, 2013, giving his last forecast two days prior.[18] England's retirement had been anticipated since Payne joined the station in January, although England had previously said he expected to leave in October 2014.[17][19]

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Other work

England had a cameo appearance (via KWTV's archives) during the opening scene and served as one of three 'weather announcers' in the 1996 movie Twister.[1] He also served as a consultant for the film.[20]

He appeared in over fifty national and international weather specials, and was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.[21][22] England wrote several books on Oklahoma weather, including his 1996 autobiography, Weathering The Storm, in which he cited Harry Volkman as an influence on his career.[4] A new biography of England by Bob Burke was published in December 2006 titled, "Friday Night in the Big Town".[23]

In popular culture

England is remembered as a calming presence, who spoke directly to children home alone during his televised tornado alerts.[24]

England is interviewed in an episode of Monster Quest entitled "Unidentified Flying Creatures" where he comments on tornado footage that captured a Rod flying through the sky. In the interview, he comments on the phenomena without going into any supposition regarding its cause.[25]

He appeared in a cameo in the 1996 movie Twister,[21][26] and in the 2021 fantasy movie Iké Boys as a weatherman.[27][26]

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Personal life and death

England was married to Mary (née Smith) England for 63 years. They had one daughter.[21][28]

England died in Oklahoma City on June 10, 2025, at the age of 85.[29] He was in hospice care after he had a stroke three weeks prior.[2]

Awards

England won several awards and was recognized for his broadcasting of severe weather, including:

Publications

  • Weathering the Storm: Tornadoes, Television, and Turmoil. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. 1996. ISBN 0-8061-2823-2.

See also

References

External links

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