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Matt Ritter

Matt Ritter

Storm Team 4 Meteorologist

Storm Team 4 Meteorologist Matt Ritter is a native of Washington, D.C., (yes, actually born in the District) and spent his youngest years in Vienna, Virginia, going to kindergarten at Cedar Lane Elementary School. Then his family moved to southern New Jersey, literally while a hurricane was moving up the eastern seaboard. That’s likely where his fascination with severe weather began.

After graduating Saint Augustine Preparatory School, he attended Millersville University near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science in Meteorology. While at Millersville he was involved with the campus weather service as a student forecaster, the school newspaper and the campus radio station. During his senior year, he took a part time behind the scenes job in the early mornings at WGAL-TV in Lancaster. Having been completely bitten by the media bug, he stayed after graduation and worked his way up to a full-time on-camera role, staying heavily involved with the weather graphics systems and online weather content.

A few years ago, Matt returned to his native Washington to take an position involving aviation weather on a government contract. He started freelance work with WTOP soon after and quickly fell in love with covering the weather on the radio, having to describe what he sees to a listening audience, especially people who are in their cars and may be about to experience severe weather. These days Matt is even more involved with Storm Team 4 for WTOP over the air and online, regularly writing weather blogs and contributing to social media, especially during severe storms. Matt enjoys the complexity of the delivering and explaining the forecast for such a large listening area.

Currently residing in Fairfax, when not working Matt’s time involves listening to a lot of music: his collection, going to concerts, and as a freelance disc jockey, specializing in the ’80s and ’90s. His favorite teams are the Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles (remember the Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania thing). A lover of craft beer, he enjoys supporting the area’s microbreweries. In the community, he tries to “give back” by helping area children’s and homeless charities, and is a lector at area churches.

Picture This

1st snowstorm in months likely this weekend; impacts moderate

Winter storm watches have been posted for parts of the area from noon Saturday until noon Sunday ahead of the first snowstorm the D.C. area has seen since November. Potential accumulation is looking to be around 4 to 7 inches for most of the area. WTOP has the info you need.

Latest Articles by Matt Ritter

DC

The Making of Marion Barry

The three-part series "The making of Marion Barry" looks at how the future mayor got his start in the civil rights movement, how he became a power player in the city and his enduring legacy.

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