Meteorologist Ryan Matoush

Denver Colorado - Casper Wyoming - Topeka Kansas

Starting Off Strong

Growing up in Thornton Colorado turned out to be one of the luckiest things that could have happened to me as such a curious kid. I didn't realize it at the time but Colorado has one of the most active and versatile climates in the United States - if not the world!

I would often find myself running outside to check out the thunderstorms as the other kids ran inside to get out of the rain. I would pride myself in building the fastest sledding track in my very own backyard; it often took all day in the snow but was well worth it. Every cloud was a mystery to me. Why did they float? Why are they shaped so differently? The world of weather has always fascinated me for as long as I can remember; it would spark a life long passion and curiosity!

Having a 14,000 foot wall of rock just to your west will often be the catalyst for creating such a wide variety of interesting weather. The Rocky Mountains would prove to be a fun place to take family trips as well the key to me pursuing meteorology.

Down To Business

Once I was in college I actually had a very difficult time deciding what I wanted to study. It wasn't glaringly obvious to me right away that meteorology was the best choice - or even an option really. Eventually, after realizing engineering was not for me, I stumbled upon a storm chasing poster in one of the science hallways. Something clicked right then and there, and I knew that meteorology would be the perfect choice for me. (How cool is this photo I snapped from the MSU Denver Campus?!)

I grew up with my twin brother Nathan, and we lived together at home with our parents Cindy and Lee. I also have two big brothers named Mike and Chris; as well as a big sister named Angie.

No Days Off

Tracking the weather - whether I'm working or not!

Corning, KS

Casper, WY

Denver, CO

Magnificent Mammatus

Frequent Lightning

"Park Inside" Days

Rise and Shine!

Working with the weather brings some extremely odd hours - but it can certainly pay off!

Weathering The Years

A look back at some of my fondest memories in the world of weather

Denver Bomb Cyclone

March 13th, 2019 - Colorado saw one of its strongest storm systems ever make its way into the region! The lowest pressure ever recorded in Colorado was observed over Lamar at 970.4 mb. Colorado Springs measured a wind gust at 96 miles per hour; that's faster than some EF1 tornadoes! So what exactly is a bomb cyclone? Well, by definition it means the pressure within the system dropped by at least 24 mb within 24 hours!

*Photo courtesy of NOAA*

Weather Balloon Launching

One of my favorite jobs of all time was being an upper air observer for the Boulder National Weather Service office. I had the awesome opportunity to release the afternoon weather balloon during this record breaking system. A lot of careful planning had to go into place to make sure the balloon could accurately record the necessary data and effectively ascend through such a chaotic atmosphere! I even had to use extra helium for this launch to make sure the balloon had enough lift; ice accumulation would be rapid and if left unaccounted for the balloon may not have had the power to keep going up!

Day And Night

The National Weather Service typically launches weather balloons twice a day, every single day of the year - at almost 100 locations across the United States. World wide, over 900 locations participate! Balloon flights last for about two hours and usually ascend up to 100,000 feet before bursting. At the surface they measure nearly six feet wide, but will reach the upper atmosphere at about 20 feet in diameter! Most locations use Hydrogen to fill up their balloons, but a few Upper Air Sites still use Helium (to the best of my knowledge). As far as the cost goes, I've been told a range of about $200 to $300 is pretty accurate!