Hi everyone!

As you know, we have a brand new addition to our Fox News Weather team.    Maria Molina has joined us, and we’re so excited to have her!  I thought it would be fun to ask her a few questions and post them on the blog for you to read and get to know her!   If you have any other questions, you can include them in the comments,  and I will make sure she gets them!  If there’s enough of them, I’ll do a Part 2 with Maria!  (Keep them classy ya’all!)   I’ve also included a couple of pictures of our weather team (pregnant belly and all!) LOL!

Enjoy!

Where did you grow up?   What kind of weather affected the place where you lived?

I was born in Nicaragua and grew up in South Florida for most of my childhood and teenage years. The weather in South Florida changes very quickly, one second it’s a beautiful sunny day, and then the next, strong thunderstorms can move through. Sometimes, it even rains with the sun out.

What got you interested in Meteorology?

My interest in meteorology happened very early in my life, I was about five years old when Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida. I was very scared when the storm moved through our area. I remember all the sounds very vividly; the wind blowing hard, things banging around outside and water entering our home from any crack it could get through. It was then that I knew I wanted to forecast these powerful storms and warn people when they are coming to their area.

Any particular weather “events” that you enjoy covering?

I enjoy covering severe weather events, from hurricanes to tornadoes. I really believe that advance notice of these dangerous weather events can help save lives and property.

What’s your favorite weather/time of year and why?

I love all times of the year. Growing up in South Florida, I never really had a “real” winter. But I have found that I love it just as much as summer, especially during the holidays. I love a white Christmas!

Do you have friends or family that rely on you for their own personalized forecast?

Anytime my family is planning outdoor plans, they contact me. My uncle owns a roofing company, so weather is very important in his business. Earlier this year, my best friend had an outdoors wedding, so I was busy trying to forecast a front that was going to move through Central Florida. Luckily, it didn’t rain for her wedding. Sometimes, we weather people get blamed for bad weather.

Do you have friends or family that rely on you for their own personalized forecast?

When I meet new people and they find out I am a meteorologist, they usually ask me for their personal forecast and say, “is it going to rain?” Don’t worry about asking me it, the joke never gets old.

What do you like to do in your spare time outside of work?

On my spare time, I love to eat New York City pizza, furniture shop for my new apartment and take strolls in Central Park with friends. This December, I will be getting a new puppy, so I think most of my spare time then will be spent training my new buddy in hopes that it doesn’t chew up all my new furniture.

How do you like working here at Fox so far?

I absolutely love working for Fox. Covering weather events on a national level is very exciting and allows me to forecast for all kinds of weather. As a bonus, everyone is very kind and helpful, especially my weather team, Janice, Rick and our weather producer Brandon!

Our weather team:  Rick Reichmuth, Maria Molina, Janice Dean, and Brandon Noriega