Fred Gossage’s fascination with weather began in 1992 during the first week of his third-grade year, as Hurricane Andrew made landfall. His teacher, Sue Garrett, took the time to answer questions and explain the unfolding storm, planting the first seeds of curiosity. That curiosity grew into a lifelong passion on March 27, 1994, when a violent tornado outbreak tore across north-central Alabama and the Southeast.
Fred vividly remembers watching James Spann—then at WBRC-TV in Birmingham—track the devastating F4 tornado that struck Goshen United Methodist Church near Piedmont, Alabama, killing 20 worshippers and 2 others along the storm’s path. Later that same evening, Fred and his family encountered a funnel cloud in Shelby County, Alabama, spawned by the same supercell that produced an F2 tornado in the Helena and Pelham areas.
As the internet began to reach homes and schools, Fred dove headfirst into meteorology. Even in high school, he was studying college-level meteorology texts and learning to interpret real-time forecast data online. His self-driven studies were shaped by firsthand experiences with major events like the April 8, 1998 F5 tornado near Birmingham, the December 16, 2000 F4 tornado in Tuscaloosa, and the November 24, 2001 outbreak—then Alabama’s largest tornado event on record.
Fred has spent over 27 years forecasting and analyzing weather across north-central Alabama, southern Tennessee, and northeast Mississippi—both professionally and as a passionate hobbyist. His professional experience includes:
- Assisting with weather-related school dismissal decisions for the Pell City School System
- Leading forecast operations for national weather websites and social media platforms
- Serving as a forecaster and customer support meteorologist for Baron Weather in Huntsville
- Working as a radar technician and severe weather analyst at WBRC-TV in Birmingham
At WBRC, Fred helped power the radar systems behind the station’s tornado coverage during the historic April 27, 2011 outbreak. He also appeared on-air during the significant tornado events of January 23 and March 2, 2012.
When Fred isn’t in the weather center, you’ll likely find him geeking out over the latest superhero movie—or in the kitchen perfecting Southern comfort food classics like fried chicken, homemade biscuits, and collard greens.
