Derek Kinkade
Chief Meteorologist
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Derek Kinkade joined Storm Team 9 in July 2006 and became Chief Meteorologist in 2011. His hometown is Rainbow City, AL, in the northeast part of the state.
He is a summa cum laude graduate from Mississippi State University with a degree in Geosciences with a concentration in Broadcast Meteorology and minor in Communications. Derek holds the American Meteorological Society Seal of Approval, and the National Weather Association Seal of Approval. He is the only meteorologist in the Columbus television market with both.
During his senior year in college, he worked the weekend weather shift at WTOK, the ABC affiliate in Meridian, MS. His first day on television involved wall-to-wall coverage of Hurricane Ivan's landfall – a heck of a way to be broken into the business!
After that, he spent a year at WMGT in Macon, GA working the morning show weather duties before joining Storm Team 9.
Derek has had a passion for weather ever since he was four years old and has experienced several severe weather events in his life that have kept up his interest in the weather, including the Blizzard of 1993 and more tornado outbreaks than he can count.
Derek also has a passion for visiting schools and teaching kids the importance of severe weather safety. He has crisscrossed the WTVM coverage area many times speaking to kids through the years, and always enjoys a stop at a local restaurant along the way! He says this is one of the best parts of the job!
When not keeping an eye to the sky, Derek enjoys watching college football (Roll Tide!), hanging out with friends and family, and traveling. He is married to Taylor Kinkade, a former reporter at WTVM. They welcomed a little boy into the world, Jackson, in January 2015. Jackson joins Johnny and June, a dachshund and chi-weenie, in the Kinkade house!
Updated: Mar. 23, 2023 at 5:32 PM EDT
|By Derek Kinkade
The weather for Friday looks beautiful - likely the warmest day of the week with highs in the mid 80s and dry conditions. The weekend weather looks stormy at times, and we might deal with a few strong storms in the mix - especially early Saturday morning into the first part of the afternoon. Pockets of gusty or damaging winds are possible with some of the strongest storms, and the tornado risk is low but not completely zero.
Updated: Mar. 22, 2023 at 4:52 PM EDT
|By Derek Kinkade
Get ready for the 80s to make a return to our forecast with low to mid 80s on Thursday and the possibility of a few upper 80s in the mix on Friday as we end the week on a really warm note. Rain coverage should be near zero through Friday, so enjoy the outdoors while you can before the next chance of rain arrives. That appears to be overnight Friday into Saturday, with shower and storm chances lingering into Sunday.
Updated: Mar. 20, 2023 at 4:26 PM EDT
|By Derek Kinkade
We expect temperatures to dip down to the 20s and 30s early on Tuesday morning with the possibility of a frost or freeze in many spots. We will see a nice recovery in the afternoon with highs back in the mid 60s with a mix of sun and clouds.
Updated: Mar. 18, 2023 at 5:32 PM EDT
|By Derek Kinkade
If you thought Saturday was chilly, get ready for even colder temperatures on Sunday with lows in the morning near freezing in most spots and highs only in the upper 40s and lower 50s. Look for a mix of clouds and sunshine, but overall more sunshine than we saw on Saturday.
Updated: Mar. 15, 2023 at 5:52 PM EDT
|By Derek Kinkade
We expect another cold start early Thursday with many places seeing a frost, and others coming in below the freezing mark. We expect a big afternoon warm-up with highs back in the 70s. We will not start off Friday as chilly as clouds will be on the increase, and we expect rain and storms to return by Friday afternoon and into the first part of Friday night.
Updated: Mar. 10, 2023 at 6:06 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Saturday looks like a beautiful weekend day for us and the best chance to be able to get out and about and get some things done. Highs will top out near the 70 degree mark after a chilly start, and we will see clouds increasing later in the day. For Sunday, rain and storms will return, and there is a risk of some strong to severe storms through the day - especially the afternoon and early evening hours. The tornado risk looks pretty closer to zero, but some pockets of strong or gusty winds are possible with some of the strongest storms, so we’ll keep an eye on things for you.
Updated: Mar. 9, 2023 at 4:04 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Heading into the overnight and into your Friday, rain chances will be back, so you might want to prepare for some showers at times on the commute early on Friday morning. It won’t be a complete washout, however, and it won’t be raining everywhere. More rain is possible at times on Friday, and we can’t rule out a few storms too - severe or damaging weather shouldn’t be a problem, however.
Updated: Mar. 3, 2023 at 6:08 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
A look at rainfall totals from the WTVM studios and the Columbus airport during the month of February, 2023.
Updated: Mar. 3, 2023 at 5:39 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Windy conditions will begin to calm down heading into the overnight hours and early Saturday morning, and this will lead in to an absolutely beautiful weekend on tap. Highs will climb into the low to mid 70s for both weekend days with plenty of sunshine.
Updated: Mar. 2, 2023 at 5:04 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
A potent storm system will be pushing in on Friday, bringing breezy conditions through much of the day with winds gusting at times to around 35-45 mph. This will happen outside of any thunderstorms, which will also be a threat roughly from around 12 PM to 4 PM ET.
Updated: Feb. 28, 2023 at 4:37 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Heading into Wednesday and Thursday, warm temperatures will still be the rule with mostly low 80s for those afternoon numbers. Morning lows remain in the low to mid 60s, but we will mention rain chances creeping back into the forecast.
Updated: Feb. 24, 2023 at 5:01 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Don’t expect any big changes as we head into your weekend with more warm temperatures ahead with highs back in the upper 70s and lower 80s. The coverage of showers will be around 20-30% on Saturday, but it probably won’t be enough to spoil any outdoor plans that you might have - just keep the umbrella close by just in case!
Updated: Feb. 23, 2023 at 5:25 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
As we finish the week, our Friday looks a lot like Thursday in terms of highs in the upper 70s and lower 80s and widely spaced showers. We will continue with a similar forecast into the weekend as the weather pattern doesn’t change very much.
Updated: Feb. 21, 2023 at 4:12 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Temperatures heading into the next two days will be in the low to mid 80s for many of us, approaching 20 degrees above average for this time of year. We will certainly be close to breaking or tying a record Wednesday & Thursday, and there’s even an outside chance we could get to the all-time February high temperature of 84!
Updated: Feb. 17, 2023 at 4:35 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Now that the rain and storms have moved out, colder air has settled in with temperatures heading into Saturday morning expected to be in the 20s and 30s. The wind will make it feel like the 20s in most spots waking up early on the weekend.
Updated: Feb. 16, 2023 at 4:24 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
We’re keeping our eye on the storm threat tonight as rain and storms will move in during the nighttime hours. The best chances for strong storms will be after midnight for most of us, though we’ll keep an eye on areas north and west of I-85 this evening and tonight. In general, the threat looks pretty marginal for most all of us. We encourage you to have a way to get watches and warnings overnight, but most of us won’t have any big concerns.
Updated: Feb. 15, 2023 at 4:34 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Mild weather is on tap for tonight heading into early Thursday, and tomorrow promises to be another warm day with highs back in the mid to upper 70s. Late Thursday into Friday morning, the coverage of rain will increase. Storms will likely be strongest over in East Alabama where there will be more energy to get these storms going.
Updated: Feb. 9, 2023 at 4:26 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Wet weather has settled in on this Thursday, and we will continue to look for showers developing at times tonight into the overnight hours. Friday will also be another wet day with showers at times and our temperatures dropping back to the upper 50s for highs in many places. The weekend will also start out with wet weather - in fact, Saturday will probably be the wettest overall day with the highest rain coverage.
Updated: Feb. 3, 2023 at 4:17 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
The bright orb in the sky today was confirmed to be the sunshine, making a long-awaited return to the Chattahoochee Valley! We will see some sun mixed with clouds heading into the weekend, with highs in the mid 50s on Saturday and upper 50s and lower 60s on Sunday.
Updated: Feb. 2, 2023 at 4:34 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Heavy rain will settle in at time tonight and into early Friday morning. For some of you, the commute to school and work could be a bit wet, but for others, the rain will be moving out. Rainfall totals will be between 1-2″ in most spots from this system.
Updated: Feb. 1, 2023 at 10:31 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
A look at rainfall data from the WTVM studios and the Columbus airport during the month of January, 2023.
Updated: Jan. 27, 2023 at 4:39 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Saturday will be a warmer day with increasing clouds for the area after another cold start - temperatures should be around the freezing mark again early in the morning.
Updated: Jan. 26, 2023 at 4:24 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
We’re in store for some cold mornings early Friday and Saturday with most spots in the 20s and 30s. Expect a frost or a freeze waking up, with highs back in the upper 40s and lower 50s on Friday.
Updated: Jan. 20, 2023 at 5:07 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Rain coverage will be going up heading into Saturday, but the absolute best coverage of rain will come overnight into Sunday morning. If you had any outdoor plans, try to fit those in before the lunch hour on Saturday - we can’t guarantee completely dry weather at that point, but it will certainly be the driest part of the day. Rain will continue at times on Sunday, so keep the umbrellas with you.
Updated: Jan. 19, 2023 at 5:55 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Thursday morning’s rain was of little fanfare across the area, and we did see the sunshine peek back out, helping to push temperatures into the 70s. By Friday, cooler weather will arrive as we start the day in the 30s and 40s and see highs in the upper 50s and lower 60s.
Updated: Jan. 17, 2023 at 4:54 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Going into the overnight hours and early on Wednesday, expect foggy spots to form which may mean a slower commute early on Wednesday morning. Rain chances return with scattered showers at times on Wednesday, and then a better chance of rain and maybe a few storms early on Thursday.
Updated: Jan. 11, 2023 at 4:43 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Temperatures starting off early Thursday morning will be a lot milder than they have been lately with many spots staying in the 50s or even the low 60s. By Thursday afternoon and evening, we’ll get ready for a round of storms, some of which could contain some gusty or damaging winds as they move through. It won’t be a widespread threat, but you’ll want to be on alert and be near a place to get watches and warnings from 3-9 PM ET (although the severe weather risk at any one spot won’t last any longer than 1-2 hours - as the line moves through, the threat will be over).
Updated: Jan. 10, 2023 at 4:35 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Temperatures will be back up in the upper 60s and lower 70s on Wednesday, but we will mention increasing clouds and a slight chance of a few showers. Most spots will stay dry, and most spots will stay dry through early Thursday, but rain and storms return Thursday afternoon, evening, and night.
Updated: Jan. 6, 2023 at 5:42 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Heading into our weekend, the weather looks fantastic on Saturday with mostly sunny skies, highs in the mid 60s, and no rain to worry about. By Sunday, there will be an increase in clouds and a 20-30% coverage of showers expected in the afternoon and evening.
Updated: Jan. 5, 2023 at 4:19 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Heading into the end of the week, look for highs in the upper 50s and lower 60s and plenty of sunshine. We will see the chilly morning temperatures returning with 30s early Friday and Saturday morning, and a chance at some frost or even a freeze in spots by early Saturday.
Updated: Jan. 3, 2023 at 4:08 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
We’re keeping our eye on strong to severe storms moving into the area tonight. The main time-frame of concern will be through 10-11 PM ET tonight, and then again Wednesday morning from 5-6 AM ET until 11 AM ET or so. Be sure to watch for updates on our WTVM weather app tonight as we deal with all threats - isolated tornadoes, damaging wind, and flooding.
Updated: Dec. 25, 2022 at 4:55 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
The bitter cold air will hang on for another night with temperatures in the teens and low 20s waking up early on Monday. We will deal with a mix of clouds and sun on Monday with highs back in the mid 40s. The lower 50s are back on Tuesday, and highs should be back in the mid 60s by Thursday as the warm-up kicks in.
Updated: Dec. 23, 2022 at 5:25 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
The Arctic front arrived with a vengeance Thursday night, bringing gusty winds and dropping temperatures in a big way. Look for low Friday night into Saturday morning to be their coldest with a range of temperatures from 8 to 19 across the Valley and ‘feels like’ temperatures below zero or in the single digits by early Christmas Eve morning.
Updated: Dec. 22, 2022 at 4:55 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
The coldest air begins to arrive after midnight, pushing ‘feels like’ temperatures down in the single digits and teens. Winds may begin to gust 30-40 mph through the overnight. FRIDAY AM: The wind should dry up most of the water on the roads, so black ice isn’t expected to be a widespread problem.
Updated: Dec. 21, 2022 at 5:40 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
The last day to prepare for Arctic air will be Thursday - a day that will feature cloudy skies, isolated showers, and highs back in the mid to upper 50s. Better chances of rain moves back in Thursday night as the front moves in, and then our attention will turn to the colder temperatures.
Updated: Dec. 21, 2022 at 8:23 AM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Some of the coldest air in years will settle in to the Chattahoochee Valley Thursday Night into Christmas Day. Here’s a timeline of what to expect, and what you need to do in order to prepare!
Updated: Dec. 15, 2022 at 4:34 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Chances for strong storms have moved on, and now our forecast looks rather quiet as we take you through Friday and the weekend. Highs on Friday will be in the mid 50s, but look for upper 40s and lower 50s for highs by Saturday and Sunday.
Updated: Dec. 12, 2022 at 4:36 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Look for the cloudy and dreary weather to continue into Tuesday with some spotty light showers and highs topping out in the 50s and 60s. Bigger changes are ahead for Wednesday and Thursday as we will be tracking rain and storms back into the area. A round or two of showers is possible on Wednesday, but the heaviest rain and storms will arrive overnight Wednesday into very early Thursday morning.
Updated: Dec. 9, 2022 at 4:36 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Heading into Saturday, look for more clouds than sunshine through the day with only a slight chance of a shower and highs in the 60s and lower 70s. Sunday will feature a much better chance of showers with a more organized from moving through, so if you have any outdoor plans, it’s better to get those in on Saturday if you can!
Updated: Dec. 8, 2022 at 4:45 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
More fog is back with us as we head into Friday morning, so make sure you allow yourself a little extra time to get to where you need to go for the commute early on. Highs in the afternoon will again warm into the 70s, but we can’t rule out some showers late in the afternoon or evening, and then again into Friday night.
Updated: Dec. 5, 2022 at 4:08 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
After a Monday that featured temperatures pretty close to average, look for a big warm up for the rest of the week with mid to upper 70s for afternoon highs through Friday. It would not be out of the question for some of our warmer spots to see the lower 80s at some point Tuesday through Thursday.
Updated: Dec. 2, 2022 at 4:13 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
An approaching front will bring rain chances back for the weekend, but the coverage of showers will only end up being around 20% at any given point on Saturday. Look for more clouds than sunshine, and temperatures topping out in the upper 60s and lower 70s.
Updated: Dec. 1, 2022 at 6:43 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
A look at rainfall data from the WTVM studios and the Columbus airport during the month of November, 2022.
Updated: Dec. 1, 2022 at 6:24 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Heading into Friday, our forecast remains dry as temperatures start to warm up a bit heading into the afternoon and evening hours with highs back in the mid 60s in some places. For the weekend, the rain coverage will be on the way back up, but it won’t be a washout by any stretch.
Updated: Nov. 30, 2022 at 4:57 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
After a stormy morning across the Chattahoochee Valley, conditions have improved in a big way on this Wednesday with sunshine and warm temperatures this afternoon. Get ready for some temperature changes, however, with colder weather settling in as we end the week.
Updated: Nov. 28, 2022 at 4:13 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
After a warm Monday, we should be even warmer for Tuesday with dry conditions during the day and increasing clouds. Tuesday evening and night, showers and a few storms will be moving into the area, but a stronger line of storms will pass through during the overnight hours into Wednesday morning. Some storms along the line may pack a punch with gusty winds to go along with heavy rain and lightning.
Updated: Nov. 25, 2022 at 9:25 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
e were able to dry out late in the day on Friday, but don’t put those umbrellas away just yet, as we have another chance of showers and a few thunderstorms as we head into late Saturday night, overnight, and into Sunday morning. Rainfall could be heavy at times, and we certainly can’t rule out a few thunderstorms in the mix. Most of the day Saturday will be dry, or at least will only feature a few showers from time to time.
Updated: Nov. 17, 2022 at 4:54 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Temperatures tonight will be well into the 20s in many communities, marking a hard freeze for a lot of us and an end to the growing season if you haven’t seen it come to an end already. Look for a heavy frost on the cars early Friday as you head to school and work.
Updated: Nov. 16, 2022 at 4:44 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Looking ahead to the rest of the week, we will be in store for some chilly temperatures with highs in the upper 40s and lower 50s on Thursday, and mid 50s on Friday. Morning lows will be well into the 30s Thursday morning, with most places in the 20s and lower 30s Friday morning.
Updated: Nov. 14, 2022 at 4:49 PM EST
|By Derek Kinkade
Rain will return to the forecast Tuesday thanks to a passing disturbance that will keep things cloudy and wet at times. Rainfall totals on Tuesday should be less than a half inch or so for most, but there could be some higher totals in spots. Rain could start after midnight tonight in our Alabama counties and showers will stick around at times into the early evening on Tuesday.
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