Draft:Michelle Rotella


Michelle Rotella is an American Certified Broadcast Meteorologist.[1][2] She is a meteorologist for NBC-owned WCAU in Philadelphia.[1] Rotella previously worked as a senior broadcast meteorologist for AccuWeather[1][2] and chief meteorologist for HMTV6 in Hagerstown, Maryland.[3][4] In 2015, she was a contestant on the TBS reality competition series Funny or Die Presents: America's Next Weatherman.[3][4]

Early life and education

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Rotella is from Gaithersburg, Maryland.[3] She graduated from high school at the age of 16 before earning a Bachelor of Science degree in meteorology[3] with a minor in mathematics from Florida State University.[1][2]

Career

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Early television career

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Rotella began her broadcast meteorology career working for television stations including WNEP-TV in Scranton, Pennsylvania, WTXL in Tallahassee, Florida, WCCB in Charlotte, North Carolina, WTTG in Washington, D.C.,[2] and WHP-TV in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.[1] She later became chief meteorologist for HMTV6 in Hagerstown, Maryland.[3][4] In 2016, Rotella obtained the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) Seal of Approval from the American Meteorological Society.[1][2]

AccuWeather

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In 2021, Rotella joined AccuWeather as a senior broadcast meteorologist for the AccuWeather Network. She was based at the company's headquarters in State College, Pennsylvania.[2]

WCAU

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In 2022, Rotella joined NBC-owned WCAU in Philadelphia as a meteorologist. The station announced that she would join the NBC10 team, with Rotella primarily working on WCAU throughout the week.[1]

Funny or Die Presents: America's Next Weatherman

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In 2015, Rotella was a contestant on the TBS reality competition series Funny or Die Presents: America's Next Weatherman. She was one of 12 contestants competing for a cash prize and an opportunity to appear as a weather presenter on CNN.[3][4] Rotella finished as the runner-up in the competition, which was won by Mackenzie Bart.[5]

Awards

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In 2024, Rotella was part of the NBC10 Philadelphia news team nominated for a Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy Award in the Evening Newscast (Larger Markets) category for the newscast September 13, 2023.[6]

In 2025, Rotella was part of the NBC10 team nominated for a Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy Award in the Health/Environment/Science – Long Form Content category for Climate Change Concerns.[7]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Miller, Mark K. (2022-07-11). "Meteorologists Marvin Gómez And Michelle Rotella Join WCAU-WWSI". TV News Check. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Miller, Mark K. (2021-03-15). "Michelle Rotella Joins Accuweather". TV News Check. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Samenow, Jason (2015-06-26). "'Next Weatherman' reality show to debut in August, features Maryland meteorologist". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Lammers, Carlee. "Reality show featuring HMTV6 meteorologist airs Saturday night". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
  5. reports, Staff. "HMTV6 meteorologist finishes second on weatherman reality show". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
  6. "2024 Emmy Nominees". NATAS Mid-Atlantic Chapter. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
  7. "2025 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Nominees". NATAS Mid-Atlantic Chapter. Retrieved 2026-07-13.