Jason Mikell
Jason Mikell joins the WBZ NEXT Weather Team with a wide range of experience, most recently in the Midwest where he was the evening meteorologist at WKYC in Cleveland, Ohio.
"Severe storms were a huge interest of mine growing up. From watching my location station in Hattiesburg, MS WDAM-TV, to the tornado drills at school, to living through one of the most costly, deadly, and destructive storms in US history: Hurricane Katrina. Unbeknownst to me at the time, it was all preparing me for a career that continues to bring me joy."
A Southern gentleman at heart, Jason was born and raised in southern Mississippi. He is not only a proud graduate of Pearl River Community College with an Associate degree in Liberal Arts, but he also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, is a certified Human Resources Professional, a Mississippi state marching band champion, and an avid lover of all things food, music, and wine.
After graduating, Jason took a leap of faith and moved north to Philadelphia where he began a career in recruiting. Along the way, Jason's love for weather reemerged with a mighty force, causing him to pursue an advanced degree in Operational Meteorology from Mississippi State University.
From then on, the ball has been rolling steadily with internships at the National Weather Service Mt. Holly / Philadelphia and FOX 29 Philadelphia.
Jason began his on-air career as a weekend meteorologist in Lima, Ohio; within 6 months he was named Chief Meteorologist. In January 2018, he joined KVUE in Austin, Texas where he worked as a meteorologist, traffic reporter, and morning anchor, and was also nominated for an Emmy Award. From there, he moved to Cleveland, Ohio where he helped launch WKYC's climate initiative "PlanetCLE."
Jason has forecasted and experienced tornado outbreaks; the impacts of Superstorm Sandy in 2012; winter storms and summer heat waves in Philadelphia; 54 days of triple-digit heat in Austin in the summer of 2018; provided wall-to-wall coverage during the paralyzing Texas snow and ice storm of 2021; and covered lake effect weather events in Cleveland. He also provided the forecast for the Austin area live on Live! with Kelly and Ryan in 2021 with their virtual road trip series.
Volunteerism, advocacy, and mentorship are all equally important to Jason. In 2017, he helped raise more than $7500 for the American Cancer Society's Real Men Wear Pink campaign. He has served on the Big Brothers Big Sisters of West Central Ohio board, the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce board, and the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland board. He has also been a Big Brother through the program.0
Jason is a current member of both the American Meteorology Society and National Weather Association. He is a member of the Gamma Theta Upsilon fraternity, Phi Theta Kappa fraternity, the National Association of Black Journalists, an award-winning journalist through the Ohio School Boards Association Media Honor Roll, and won first place as the state of Ohio's "Best Weathercast" via the Cleveland Press Club.
New England is sure to be a newfound home with Jason and his 20-pound miniature sheepadoodle, Pepper.
