Tim Coleman is currently a research meteorologist at The University of Alabama in Huntsville. His research is mainly on atmospheric gravity waves, and how they may cause tornadoes and damaging winds. Tim also works in radar meteorology, where he is attempting to make radar rainfall estimates more accurate for flash flood and river forecasting, and he also does some research work on tornadoes, atmospheric bores, and the effects of inland lakes and rivers on the weather. Tim works for Dr. Kevin Knupp, a nationally-recognized expert on severe weather and instrumentation, and author of 32 refereed publications.

Tim graduated with a degree in Physics and Mathematics from Samford University in 1996, and received a Master’s degree in Atmospheric Science from UAH in 2000. He is currently completing his PhD in Atmospheric Science.

Tim became fascinated with the weather around age 3. He began coloring weather radar pictures at school by the first or second grade, and became much more interested in weather when his parents bought him a NOAA Weather Radio for Christmas in 1983 (Tim was 9). J. B. Elliott and Bob Deitlein were like movie stars to Tim as a kid!

His interest grew more when his Hewitt Jr. High School was selected to send a team to the National Science Olympiad in Dover, DE when Tim was in the 8th grade. Tim won the Gold Medal in the meteorology event there. Tim began volunteering at the National Weather Service office at 11 West Oxmoor Road at age 16, and became a paid employee of the NWS in 1993. Tim worked there for nine years, primarily as a broadcaster on NOAA Weather Radio, which was a dream come true. Since J. B. had retired, Tim was on weather radio during many severe weather events in the 1990’s. He once got locked in the weather radio room due to a broken door during a severe weather outbreak! While several people worked to get the door open, Tim stayed on the air, with forecasters sliding tornado warnings to him under the door.

While working for Infinity Insurance, Tim began filling in as an on-camera meteorologist at Channel 42 in Birmingham in 2001, and was hired as weekend meteorologist, then Monday through Friday meteorologist, working there until 2004. Tim also did some severe weather coverage on several Birmingham-area radio stations in 2001-2002. After that, Tim went into the field of research.

Tim grew up in Center Point, and also lived in Tarrant and then in Trussville, where he currently resides with his wife, Jennifer. Tim enjoys playing golf, watching “The Andy Griffith Show", and hanging out with the dog, Lionel. But, if you want to find Tim away from work, you should look near Bluff Creek along the Warrior River, where Tim enjoys fishing for bream and largemouth bass, and driving around in his 1973 14’ Manatee boat. Its value may only be $500, but he would not trade it in for a BMW!