by Bailey White
Staff Writer
Mike Buresh was seven years old when he was “bit by the weather bug.” Having grown up in rural Iowa, an area with “wild weather,” his childhood fascination seems natural.
“Where I’m from there are blizzards in the winter and tornadoes in the summer. Iowa runs the gamut of extremes,” he said. “Its incredible because it’s always changing. Maybe it’s just a sunset or rainbow. Sometimes it’s the simplest things in weather that are most fascinating.”
Buresh is the new face at Chs. 30 and 47. After 11 years as a meteorologist in Cincinnati, Buresh joined the Clear Channel Communications team in mid-August.
“It was a career move, definitely,” said Buresh, who signed on as the chief meteorologist at the station. “Initially, I’m trying to build my credibility as the person to trust for weather forecasting. And I will be paying a lot more attention to the numbers, to the ratings. We’re really looking to raise the level of the station.”
The station is doing something very unusual — they’re launching CBS after having done only FOX, so it’s a huge career challenge for me. This was the right opportunity.”
Buresh knew he was in for a challenge when he accepted the job.
“I knew what was going to be expected of me, and decided to embrace it wholeheartedly,” said Buresh.
The new responsibilities aren’t the only challenges facing Buresh. He had a small amount of transition time between his two jobs, and is still working to familiarize himself with his new city.
“I was literally on air at 11 p.m. Friday night in Cincinnati, and then on air here in Jacksonville the following Monday at 4 p.m. I still haven’t had a lot of time to explore,” he said.
There are also personal changes happening in Buresh’s life. His wife, Heidi, is expecting the couple’s second daughter in October. Their first child, Willa, is 19 months old.
Despite the initial chaos, Buresh is enjoying Jacksonville and is looking forward to making his home here.
“We researched Jacksonville and were excited about the prospects here,” he said. “We’d heard a lot of positive things. We’re both really into water sports and outdoor things. And I love NFL football. Hopefully, I’m not too far behind at keeping up with the Jaguars.”
Once he’s established himself locally, Buresh is looking forward to getting involved in some of the same types of activities he did in Cincinnati.
“I did a lot of work with the local Shelter for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and with the Cincinnati Zoo,” said Buresh.
Buresh is also dedicated to spreading his excitement about science to school children. In Ohio, he visited dozens of schools each year to talk to students about his work. He graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in meteorology and a teaching certificate. Before getting his first on air job in Des Moines, he taught high school science and eventually did that while working as the morning meteorologist.
“It brought a whole new element to my teaching,” said Buresh. “My students watched me in the morning and then we talked about it in class.”
As for the weather in Jacksonville, perhaps it had some weight in his decision to relocate.
“Right now, we’re sweating a lot,” said Buresh. “But we like the heat, so we don’t mind. My wife is psyched about this winter, knowing she’ll be able to get outdoors. And I am not going to miss shoveling the sidewalks.”