Lisbon Community Welcomes Meteorologist Sarah Long‏

Sarah Long, from WGME, visited third grade students at Lisbon Community School on Monday, March 1 to share information on her job as a Meteorologist.   Pictured with Long is Michael Farrington from Mrs. Anne Clayton’s third grade class at LCS comparing his size to an actual weather balloon. Long’s presentation complimented the grade three classroom studies of weather units.  Students had an opportunity for questions and answers with the local TV weather personality, and requested autographs following her presentation. 

Photo by Monica Millhime

Lisbon - On Monday, March 1, Meteorologist Sarah Long, from WGME Channel 13,  visited with third grade students at Lisbon Community School.   Students and their teachers, Anne Clayton, John Espejo, Debbi Furrow, Heather Goddu and Garrett Goldsmith welcomed Long to assist with real-life classroom connections with their weather units.  “My earliest weather memories were big snowstorms and loud thunderstorms. I would stand at the front door with my dad and watch and listen to the thunderstorms roll on by,”  shared Long.  “Growing up I never thought about meteorology as a career, it wasn't until I was 18 years old that I realized I could study weather as my job - once I found out I could, I knew I wanted to be a meteorologist.”

Long introduced students to computer models for predicting the constant changing weather conditions.  Students were invited to participate in a display of weather balloons comparing their size with the weather instruments.  Long shared some of her experiences forecasting the weather from the top of Mt. Washington.    “After four years in college earning my degree in meteorology, I got my first job working and living in some of the world's most extreme weather, right here in New England, on the top of Mt. Washington for the Observatory,” commented Long. “I was a weather observer and researcher for four years and would live every other week on top of the mountain. I measured hundreds of inches of snow while I was there, stood out in winds over 120 MPH, and got to live with the Observatory cat, Nin. Mt. Washington is also where I started giving radio forecasts and got over my fear of speaking in public, it was time to try something new, and that's when I decided to forecast on television.”

Students had prepared a list of questions prior to Long’s visit.  A fresh spring bouquet, a Lisbon Greyhound stadium blanket, and a limited edition LCS Cookbook were presented to Long.  FMI on events and other opportunities for making community connections in the classroom, contact Community Resource Coordinator, Monica Millhime, 754-0021 or email mmillhime@lisbonschoolsme.org.