Published: Apr. 20, 2018 at 8:38 PM EDT|Updated: Apr. 26, 2018 at 11:30 AM EDT
Lauren Linahan joined Storm Team 9 as the weekday morning meteorologist in April 2018. She is excited to be back home in her home state of Georgia, and only a few hours from her hometown, Valdosta.
Lauren graduated from Valdosta State University back in 2012 with a B.S. in Environmental Geosciences and a B.A. in French - easy to guess which one proves a little handier these days! She also completed Mississippi State's Broadcast Meteorology Program in 2017. In the future, Lauren hopes to pursue her master's from #HailState in Applied Meteorology. If it weren't for student loans, she would be in school the rest of her life!
During her college years, weather wasn't always her calling; Lauren was originally a theatre major, but never looked back after choosing to take Intro to Meteorology for her required core science course and went on to become a teaching assistant for the freshmen Weather and Climate class.
After graduation, Lauren pursued her burgeoning interest in media while working as a tour guide at CNN in Atlanta. While working at the CNN World Headquarters, she spent her free time in the weather department, laying the foundation for her future broadcast weather career.
Lauren comes to Columbus after her first on-air job as a meteorologist and field reporter at WTVY/WRGX, the CBS and NBC affiliates in Dothan, Alabama. During her time in the Wiregrass, Lauren extensively covered multiple severe weather events, from tornadoes to straight-line winds. One of Lauren's favorite aspects of working in Dothan was providing live coverage of Hurricane Hermine making landfall in Florida, as well as reporting countless stories that highlighted animals in need through the community.
Despite a rewarding start to her career in Dothan, Lauren is thrilled to be back on the other side of the 'Hooch' in the Peach State. She is looking forward to exploring the Great Outdoors and the local restaurant scene in the Valley. If you want to chat, email her at llinahan@wtvm.com find her on Twitter (@LaurenWTVM) and Facebook (Meteorologist Lauren Linahan).
