Tony Petrarca isn’t one to pat himself on the back, so I am going to do it for him as we celebrate his 25years at WPRI! Here’s an early picture of Tony…. can I hear a collective “aaaawwww”.

Tony Petrarca

I consider it a privilege to work with Tony at WPRI and to call him a friend.  He is a class act.  He is a true scientist, a weather scholar and a great mentor.  He is passionate about the weather and is always analyzing data, checking conditions and reading up on the latest technology.  It’s not unusual for me to get weather-related emails from Tony at, say, 3am… long after his shift has ended and when most people are sleeping.  To be a successful meteorologist you have to not only be able to analyze weather data… you have to understand how the computer models behave in given weather situations… their biases, weaknesses and strengths. You only get that kind of knowledge from experience or having someone willing to share their experience with you.  In 25yrs, Tony has pretty much experienced it all… and he’s always willing to share his wealth of knowledge with us “younger” meteorologists .

His humor–often self-deprecating–makes him a fun and enthusiastic member of the Eyewitness News Team.  He’s also a great member of the southern New England community… he once told me that he aimed to do 50 school visits a year!  And it almost never fails when I go into a school for a weather presentation I hear, “Tony’s been here, too.”  He’s also sacrificed countless weekends for community events… acting as MC, Auctioneer, Lead Walker or Cheer Captain.

This weekend, he’ll be walking in the Aquidneck Island Police Parade.  So if you see us there, or if you see him around town, make sure to wish him congratulations! And here’s to another 25years of perfectly coiffed hair and accurate forecasts!