Hi Paul,
If you're new to my periodic email blasts, welcome! I like to mix a little real estate talk with fun — and occasionally nerdy — stories from time to time.
Recently, I had the chance to catch up with my good friend Jordan Steele, a meteorologist from The Weather Channel, and I thought you might enjoy hearing a little about our conversation.
Jordan and I first met back in the late summer of 2023, when The Weather Channel was broadcasting live from the Chatham Fish Pier. They were tracking a potential hurricane (thankfully, it never showed up), and Jordan even had me live on the air that morning. We've stayed friends ever since.
Jordan is broadcasting live on the air every morning from 6–10 AM on the Weather Channel — meaning he’s up by 3:30 AM, analyzing global weather models before most of us have hit snooze for the first time. He especially loves forecasting for the Northeast, where the weather can change on the dime. And here on the elbow in Chatham, it’s even more unpredictable, thanks to our microclimate. In simple terms, that means we get our own unique weather – sunny skies in Orleans one minute, and the next, socked-in-fog just down the road in Chatham. Never boring, and endlessly interesting to Jordan.
Now, let's “geek out” for a second (Jordan’s words, not mine).
Ever heard of the “40/70 Benchmark”? It’s a key reference point for tracking winter storms — located at 40°N latitude and 70°W longitude (appx 60miles due south of Nantucket). When storms pass near that point, it often means heavy snow for coastal New England. Good to know... now that winter’s finally in the rearview mirror.
Jordan, who grew up surfing in Southern California, is also an avid angler and hunter. Over dinner one especially super humid night, he launched an impromptu weather lesson covering everything from polar vortexes to tropical depressions to dew points. (Even without a couple beers, this stuff really interests me!).
At one point, he casually dropped this into conversation:
"Hey Paul, whadda ya like on the menu? Oh, and by the way, the isodrosotherm is off the charts."
Wait what..?
Translation: "It’s so humid and sticky right now that, my sweaty a** is stuck to the friggin seat."
Yikes
Of course, I couldn’t resist teasing him – don’t we all joke that weather forecasts can be hilariously off the mark sometimes? – and you’re getting paid for that! Jordan laughed and admitted that even with today’s best technology, Mother Nature keeps meteorologists humble. (Fun fact: the American GFS weather model has been giving the European model a run for its money lately — a reminder that even in weather forecasting, change is the only constant.)
Btw, hasn’t EVERYONE always wanted to ask that question to a meteorologist!! ha
Jordan Steele is an Emmy Award-winning meteorologist and currently co-anchors America’s Morning Headquarters on The Weather Channel, alongside Jim Cantore and Stephanie Abrams. Beyond his work, he's a devoted husband to his wife Dani and a proud father of three – including a remarkable son, Kinlin, with Down syndrome. Jordan is heavily involved in the Down syndrome community and always welcomes connecting with others who share that journey.
You can follow my friend Jordan across all the usual social media channels — he's as engaging online as he is on TV!
As always, if you have any questions about our local real estate market here on the elbow — or if you just want to geek out about our next incoming weather front — feel free to reach out. I'd love to hear from you.
Best, Paul