WTOP 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 Cedar Lane Elementary School for kindergarten. 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.

Matt is a graduate of St. Augustine Preparatory School in Richland, New Jersey, and Millersville University in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he received his 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 digital forecasting.

Matt moved back to northern Virginia in the early 2010s to take an aviation weather position with a government contractor 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 who may be about to drive into a hailstorm or a snow squall.

When not working, Matt is very involved in the music world as a concert-going fan, and an 80s and 90s video and disc jockey. He goes to as many concerts as time and funds will allow. For sports, he is still loves the Phillies and Eagles but has embraced the Capitals and Wizards.