Meteorologist Brian van de Graaff, a member of the 7News Team for over two decades, carries the American Meteorological Society’s prestigious Seal of Approval. You can catch his First Alert Weather forecast on weekday mornings on 7News On Your Side and on 103.5 FM WTOP News. Then at 10 a.m. follow him as he highlights people and places doing good things around the DMV on Good Morning Washington live.
Prior to his current role, he covered the weekend night shift and has covered nearly every shift at the station since his first assignment on 7News’ morning news. Brian’s on-air career path took him from Salisbury, Maryland to Richmond, Virginia to New York City, and back home to Washington, D.C.
Brian was born in Arlington and grew up in the rural Virginia communities of Culpeper and Madison. His love for the weather was apparent from an early age, so it was no surprise when, after graduating from George Mason University, he jumped right into the business. At that time, he was taken under the wing of his mentor and local legend Doug Hill.
“It was not only the excellent education that I received at George Mason but my one-on-one attention from Doug that helped me hone my forecasting skills,” said Brian.
As a meteorologist, one of Brian’s most exciting memories is of the time he spent in New Orleans only days before Katrina hit. The expression “the calm before the storm” could not have resonated more than during that time — it was eerily quiet with a very slight breeze, the skies were bright blue and the long-time NOLA residents were relatively unfazed by the weather reports. With hotel staff proclaiming that “it is always so much fun when the storms come” and “we will take good care of you,” one family member was considering “waiting out the storm.” Brian’s response that “it really wouldn’t look good for me to leave a family member in the path of a major hurricane” convinced everyone that it was time to “get out of Dodge!”
These days it is not uncommon to see Brian crisscrossing the region in the First Alert Weather StormTracker, the station’s mobile weather vehicle. The brightly painted vehicle is outfitted with top-quality weather instruments and is often found visiting local schools showcasing its excellent tools to teach kids about weather and weather safety.
Becoming an Eagle Scout as a young adult remains a source of pride for Brian. He has hiked and backpacked throughout the U.S., from points along the Appalachian Trail in the East to the Grand Canyon in the West and places in between. Travel is also a favorite hobby of Brian’s as he has ventured across the U.S. and the globe, his farthest journey thus far being to Australia.
Brian, his wife Kristen and their two children live in Fairfax, Virginia.
Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @Brian7NewsDC
