Howard McNeil
Howard Gilbert McNeil was a meteorologist in Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas for thirty years (1955-1985). He was affectionately known throughout the Southwest as "The Old Weatherbird" because his broadcasts were seen all over the region as part of the regular programing at the superstation KTVT, Channel 11.
Early Life
Mr. McNeil was born October 24, 1920 in Chicago, IL. He is the second of four children of Gilbert Malcom McNeil and Frances Grant McNeil.
On February 20, 1943 he married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Klaas. They had three sons, Scott, Brian and Bruce.
Military Career
He began his career in 1942 as a pilot trainee, but proved to be too tall (6'4") for the small planes and "washed out" because his legs "fell asleep." So he switched to aircraft maintenance and became an expert piston engine mechanic.
In 1943 he applied for a position with The Air Weather Service. He became a high altitude forecaster.
On July 16, 1945 he was on board an observation plane flying east of the Trinity Site when the first atom bomb was tested. He was to attempt to determine how far the resultant nuclear fallout would be carried by upper level winds. Over the years he has given a great many talks entitled "The Sun Rose In The West" because of appearance that the sun was rising.
In 1950 he was ordered to Korea where he was a forward observer, charged with providing accurate forecasts to aircraft who were flying missions over North Korea.
While in Korea he recieved a battle field promotion to the officer corps.
Following Korea he was transferred to Kinley AFB in Bermuda where he developed his reputation as an expert in forecasting the Jet Stream.
While in Bermuda he also became one of the early "Hurricane Hunters" who flew into the eyes of the storms to determine their characteristics.
Private Sector
Upon his return from Bermuda in 1955 he left the Air Force and relocated to Denver, CO.
While in Denver he earned a degree from the University of Denver while working the night shift for Dr. Irving P. Krick, the legendary forecaster for the D-Day Invasion during World War II.
In 1954-55 he traveled the United States making presentations on behalf of the Krick organization in an effort to obtain cloud seeding contracts--an early effort to cause rain in drought affected areas.
During the summer of 1955 he made such a presentation to the leaders of the Dallas/Fort Worth area. As a result of that meeting he was offered an opportunity to join the new television station, KFJZ, as their resident meteorologist. He was hired by the station's owner, Bing Crosby.
In the mid 1960s he resigned from KFJZ and joined combined forces with another weather legend, Harold Taft, at WBAP (now KXAS) television. They took turns doing the early and late news broadcasts for more than a decade.
Eventually he returned to Channel 11, which had become KTVT while he was gone. In 1985 he retired.
Return to the Air Force
In the late 1950s he was asked to return to the Air Force as a high altitude forecaster. He accepted and was assigned to Carswell AFB as the Strategic Air Command's Chief Forecaster during most of the Cold War.
His primary responsibility was to lead the team that would advise bomber crews what weather conditions they would encounter should they be ordered to attack targets all over Asia, Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.
Additionally he was the lead forecaster for the President of the United States any time he was flying anywhere in the world.
He was also very instrumental as the forecaster for most of the B-58 Hustler bomber's successful attempts to set speed records during the 1960s.
Retirement
In 1983 he retired from the Air Force and two years later he retired from KTVT.
Since then he and Dorothy have traveled the world and enjoyed their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and hundreds of friends.
They continue to reside in Fort Worth.