7News First Alert 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 driving there while a hurricane was moving up the eastern seaboard. That is where and when his fascination with weather, especially severe weather, began.

After graduating Saint Augustine Preparatory School, he attended Millersville University in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology. While at Millersville he was involved with the campus weather service as a student forecaster, the school newspaper, and as a DJ on the campus radio station, WIXQ-FM. During his senior year, he took a part-time weather assistant behind-the-scenes job in the early mornings at WGAL-TV in the Harrisburg-Lancaster-York market. 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.

Matt moved back to northern Virginia in the early 2010s to take an aviation weather position, but came aboard WTOP as a freelancer. He quickly fell in love with doing weather on the radio, targeting information for WTOP’s specific audiences, especially people in their vehicles. He fills in on 7News and also works for their sister project, The National Weather Desk, as a producer and occasional host and announcer.

When not doing the weather Matt’s free time is filled with the world of music: going to concerts and listening to it at home. He is also a DJ and video DJ, specializing in 80s and 90s classic pop and alternative rock. For sports, he deals with his dual background of D.C. and south Jersey thusly: Eagles and Phillies, but also Wizards and Caps.