Marcus Hustedde

Meteorologist and Tour Guide

My name is Marcus Hustedde, and I grew up in Belleville, IL just outside of St. Louis, MO. I am a meteorologist, photographer, and storm chaser. Ever since I can remember I have been fascinated by the weather. My father and I would sit on the front porch and watch and listen as thunderstorms would move through the area. I particularly “sparked” an interest in lightning at a young age, and I always found myself wondering how the complexities of thunderstorms really worked. This fascination would eventually lead me to obtain my Bachelor of Science with a major in Meteorology from Saint Louis University. After completing my undergraduate degree, I decided to attend the University of Alabama in Huntsville for my Master’s degree in Atmospheric Science. While in graduate school I had the opportunity to be a research assistant for the NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT). My research focused on cloud to ground lightning strikes that occur where little to no precipitation is falling (bolts from the blue).

I am currently a travel meteorologist where I provide on-site weather support for professional golf tournaments, home Notre Dame football games, as well as a handful of concerts. The main golf tours I work for are the LPGA and the PGA Champions Tours. My main focus at these events is the safety of everyone involved from a weather standpoint. Lightning safety is the main concern for these outdoor events, and sometimes it is necessary to evacuate when thunderstorms get too close. Traveling a lot to different golf tournaments has allowed me to explore some pretty interesting places around the world outside of the US including Taiwan, France, and Scotland. I started storm chasing outside of the local area starting in the spring of 2012. The first tornado I saw was an EF4 near Lyons, KS on April 14, 2012. It was at this moment that I knew I would be storm chasing for the rest of my life. I find great joy in helping others learn as well as learning new things myself from others. Storm chasing has also stimulated my interest in photography. While I find many different atmospheric phenomena amazing to photograph, my favorite thing to photograph will always be lightning. Outside of weather, some of my hobbies include riding my motorcycle, playing golf, and hiking. I consider myself very down to earth and easy to get along with. I look forward to sharing my passion of storms with you as we hunt for some of the most beautiful scenes our atmosphere has to offer!