About
Meet Justin Berk
In a nutshell I am a weather nut. I was born in The Bronx, NY and grow up between New York City and the northern suburbs. I moved a lot early and ended up in Maryland in 1997. It has become home for me and I can’t imagine living outside this region.
Just In Weather
*Married to Shannon Berk (Physical Therapist and co-founder of Just In Power Kids).
*Father to two boys and step father to one ‘bonus’ daughter.
Degree in meteorology from Cornell University: Bachelor of Science, May 1995
TV Broadcasting between 1995 and 2012 included
- WSTM – Syracuse
- WBNG- Binghamton
- WBAL – Baltimore
- WMAR – Baltimore
- WPHL – Philadelphia
Certified Broadcast Meteorologist CBM from The American Meteorological Society
College Professor at Stevenson University 2000-2014. Elected to Faculty Council for two terms.
Awards
Best In Baltimore (Baltimore Magazine) 2000, 2006, 2007
Best In Baltimore (Baltimore Sun Reader’s Choice) 2014, 2017, 2020, 2021
Best Meteorologist In US
- Dec 2014 from Weatherist.com
- Won the Baltimore contest as write in and only person no longer on TV. Then won the national contest compared to large cities across the US. Prize money went to Cool Kids Campaign
2014 Sun Magazine Reader’s Choice Award(s)
Mar 2014 – Baltimore Sun- Sun Magazine
Winner for Best Meteorologist and Famous Internet Person
Mobbies 2012, 2013, 2014
Baltimore Sun
Named Best Facebook Fan Page in Maryland (3 year in a row)
Readers Choice Award, and Best Twitter Account in 2014
Parents Choice Award
September 2013 from Parents Choice for
Kid Weather App (I made with my oldest son when he was 6 years old in 2012) was Approved by Parents Choice, a highly credited organization finding the best tools and toys for kids. *This is currently down for maintenance.
Maryland Trek and Just In Power Kids
I started The Maryland Trek in 2014. It is 329 miles of hiking and biking across Maryland in 7 days. Starting on top of Wisp, the only ski resort in the state and finishing at the beach in Ocean City. This event has completed 8 years (in 2021) and raised over $475,000 for programs benefiting kids with cancer and their families with Just In Power Kids.
August 2018 –
I married my best friend Shannon who has her own Physical Therapy practice and is my partner and other co-founder of Just In Power Kids.: A non-profit focused on providing FREE holistic care for kids in and post cancer treatment.
We enjoy the outdoors all year!
We have a cat and a dog with amazing personalities… who both also love the outdoors.
Education & Awards
- College: Cornell University, Bachelor of Science in Atmospheric Science
- CBM: Certified Broadcast Meteorologist with the American Meteorological Society
- Baltimore City Paper Voted Best Meteorologist in 2014 and 2020 Reader’s Poll
- Baltimore Sun Magazine Best Meteorologist and Reader’s Choice 2013 and 2017, 2020, and 2021.
- Mobbies Award for Best Facebook Page 2012, 2013 (also readers choice), and 2014 (plus best Twitter feed).
- Best in Baltimore/Baltimore Magazine in 2000, 2006, and 2007. Runner up for Best Facebook Page in 2020
- Weatherist.com Baltimore’s and America’s Favorite Weathercaster 2014
Television
- WSTM in Syracuse, NY 1995
- WBNG in Binghamton, NY 1995-1997
- WBAL in Baltimore, MB 1997-2003
- WPHL in Philadelphia, PA (Freelance 2001 and 2005)
- WMAR in Baltimore, MD 2003-2012
Weather Talk Radio:
In 2006 I joined forces with my friend and former colleague Tony Pann and developed the first 1 hour talk show dedicated to the weather on WCBM am 680.
Weather is always a topic of conversation and we never ran out of topics to discuss. I was able to combine my music collection of weather lyrics as bumps and we had a forecasting contest we called the 7 Day Battle. We donated money to charity based on our errors and matched by sponsors. This was also the catalyst to get me started in web site development and blogging.
Just In Weather
I have a little obsession with snow (Faith-in-the-Flakes), but my love of weather extends to all seasons. My goal for this web site is a portal to all of my current work. There is a lot of stuff and all keep me busy and never bored. I am very active in education, and the meteorological field outside of TV. Working for awareness and assistance of kids in cancer treatment comes from personal experience. My community outreach with Wind for Change, Maryland Trek, and others has raised over $1,000,000 and still climbing.
In 2018 I shifted my fundraising focus to the non-profit Just In Power Kids I launched with my wife Shannon. So a piece of everything I do from FITF and Snowstix gear to school assemblies go towards those programs. Social Media has allowed my post TV career to be bigger than broadcasting the traditional way. Over 300,000 followers on large networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. While blogging and updating the weather, I enjoy sharing great pictures interesting stories, and relevant news. Some of them will be scattered around this site.
Kid Weather App: One of proudest developments! I made this mobile app with my oldest son. It was his idea when he was years 6 old back in 2011, and the first project I worked on when I left my last TV station. It has been downloaded in over 60 counties and won a Parents Choice Award among others.
This is currently down for redevelopment.
Weather Assemblies:
My visits throughout the year focus on severe weather in Fall and Spring with Storm Smart. My winter program FITF runs from November through March. Participating in the spirit wear shirts is a way for schools to get free programs AND raise money for their school. Over $30,000 has been giving back to Maryland Schools between the school years Fall 2015- Winter 2020 (pre-Covid).
See more and sign up to book a visit: STEM Weather Assemblies
Consulting:
- Testifying as an expert witness using forensic meteorology.
- Decision support for schools and events in winter and severe weather.
- Decision support for road crews crews for snow and ice removal.
