VolNews Forecasts
After arriving to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, I wanted to get involved in the university’s student-run news station, VolNews. At the time, there was no weather segment; however, they allowed me to start one.
After creating the weather segment, I served as the VolNews Chief Weather Specialist for the 2023-2024 school year. After taking a hiatus, I served as the Chief Weather Specialist again during the fall of 2025. Although I no longer want to pursue broadcast meteorology as a career, VolNews has given me invaluable experience in effectively communicating forecasts to the general public. On the left, you can watch my first weather hit on VolNews. The links below will take you to additional segments.
Hit Without Warning: The Unwarned 2023 Knoxville EF-2 Tornado
In a special segment of VolNews, I was given the opportunity to create a package on the EF-2 tornado that occurred in Knoxville on August 7, 2023. I sat down with University of Tennessee meteorology professor Dr. Kelsey Ellis and PhD student Cooper Corey to understand both the atmospheric setup as well as public risk perception after warning issuance.
Hurricane Otis: Rapid Intensification on Mexico’s Pacific Coast
In October of 2023, Hurricane Otis went on record as the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall on the Pacific coast. In this special segment of VolNews, I broke down the atmospheric conditions that allowed Otis to undergo one of the strongest rapid-intensification cycles in history.
Social Media
In addition to VolNews, I have run an active social media platform since 2022. On this account, you can find forecasts, weather discussions, and educational content. To see more, go to @emmacollardwx on Instagram.
