AccuWeather’s Phil Warren’s first brush with severe weather occurred when he was seven. After a tornado narrowly missed his house in Andover, KS, in April 1991, that experience was enough to spark his interest in the weather.
Growing up in the Wichita, KS area, Phil did some interning in high school with WeatherData, which AccuWeather ultimately acquired. From there, Phil attended the University of Oklahoma and did additional summer internships in Wichita. Upon graduation, Phil started as a full-time storm warning meteorologist.
Phil currently works as a Senior Storm Warning Meteorologist at the AccuWeather For Business operations Center in Wichita, where he provides forecasts and issues AccuWeather SkyGuard® Warnings to clients.
Since Phil is from Kansas, he enjoys forecasting severe thunderstorms. His most memorable weather events are the Andover tornadoes of 1991 and 2002. In 1991, a deadly F-5 tornado missed his family’s home by a mile. In April 2002, a tornado devastated his mother’s home and the neighborhood where he grew up. Fortunately, because of advance notice, no one was hurt or killed in this tornado.
Over his 15-year career at AccuWeather, Phil says there have been many instances where he feels that AccuWeather made a difference for our clients. From briefing companies about how a powerful hurricane will impact their facilities, to issuing timely tornado warnings that allow clients to get to shelter safely, or even providing an accurate forecast for a big football game or concert, his team consistently mitigates risk and saves lives.
Phil issues these warnings by using AccuWeather SkyGuard® Warning software. This proprietary system allows meteorologists to issue site-specific notifications for clients that enable them to reduce downtime and ensure their assets are protected. He enjoys being able to forecast and issue warnings for clients all across the country and North America. He also enjoys interacting with clients daily through the 1:1 24x7x365 consulting service, which sets AccuWeather apart from other companies.
When Phil is not forecasting the weather, he’s spending time with his four boys. Since they are all under 11, he’s busy with sports, Boy Scouts, school, and church activities. Phil also enjoys competing in triathlons, running races, and cooking for family and friends.