Dave 'Weather' Edwards. Forecast: Sunny With a Chance of Funny
By Jeff Finkle
If you ever catch yourself in a bad storm in Livingston, NJ and you see a man talking to a selfie stick, don’t worry, he’s not crazy, he’s Dave ‘Weather’ Edwards.
Spring is finally upon us and what better time to talk to Dave Edwards, Managing Director of Business Development, U.S. at R/GA; who also happens to be an amateur meteorologist on the side. If you have ever seen a Weather Edwards report on Facebook than you know he brings his upbeat personality and quirky charm to every report.
If you don’t know Dave ‘Weather’ Edwards than you might think you do after watching his fun forecasts on social media. After all he’s delivering “weather from someone you know” with a catchphrase so memorable it will stick with you like the freezing snow sticks to Dave's North Face jacket.
Growing up in Farmingville, Long Island, Edwards’ had two big influences on his future meteorological pursuits. His love of weather was stoked in high school when he took an atmospheric science class taught by an enthusiastic teacher named Richard Simmons. At the time, Simmons was a CBS weather watcher and had 100’s of thermometers and barometers at his house, which was pretty cool for Edwards to be around.
In the same way that comedians might look back on watching George Carlin or Richard Pryor on TV growing up, Edwards looks back fondly on local NY weather TV staple Irv Gikovsky, aka Mr. G. Mr. G was a part of the local NY TV landscape doing the weather for CBS Channel 2 News for decades. Edwards took to his “sunny disposition”, as Mr. G had fun with the weather by endearing himself to his audience through his signature lines like providing “toupee warnings” for the follicly-challenged male listener.
Dave Edwards’ transformation into Weather Edwards “started on a dare about five years go” with his friend and coworker at R/GA, Vin Farrell, he noted. They were talking about the snow and Farrell dared him to go outside in his t-shirt and film a quick forecast. The name ‘Weather’ Edwards came from the mind of former R/GA creative director Andrew Payton. In true ad fashion, Edwards also has his own catchphrase, “weather from someone you know.”
“Pickles and I walk into a bar…” This is not the opening of one of Edward’s jokes but the beginning of the story of how the Dave ‘Weather’ Edwards’ catchphrase was born. “Weather from someone you know” is how Dave’s colleague at R/GA, a gravelly-voiced tech director named Michael Piccuirro (affectionately nicknamed Pickles) gave Edwards one night, while they were out after work, as the reason he enjoys getting his weather from Dave.
“My coworkers are my biggest fans and they definitely embrace the passion I bring to this,” Edwards said. He works in business development in an agency filled with creative people and this is his way of expressing himself creatively. Everybody likes talking about the weather and his ‘Weather Edwards’ persona has “become a real conversation piece and a conversation starter,” he noted.
He’s begun to branch out to Instagram stories to broaden his outreach from the Weather Edwards reports on his Facebook page and on his website, Weatheredwards.com. Although Edwards can be found doing his weather report on his walk to the bus on his morning commute, he really enjoys reporting from fun locations all over NJ and wherever his travels may take him.
Usually on the weekends, Edwards and his wife and he will drive around and try and keep a look-out for cool locations. His favorite report outside of Livingston so far was shot last summer in Italy with the Leaning Tower of Pisa in the background. They had to hunt around amidst a sea of tourists on a smoldering hot day to find the perfect spot to do the report. “It took about three takes due to the crowd that was gathering at the tourist spot” (who thought he was someone a little more famous than he is,) but the result was worth it, he noted.
The next time Dave ‘Weather’ Edwards returns to Italy, a crowd might just show up to see him, as well as the The Coliseum behind him, due to his sponsorship with Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee. The sponsorship came about after his friend Rob Friedlander had become the CMO of Jack’s Stir Brew and approached him about connecting him with Jack’s. Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee seems like a perfect sponsor for a man who spends his free time out in the cold, talking about the need to stay warm.
The Jack’s Stir Brew Facebook page has almost doubled since he started in December and he’s posting Instagram stories into Jack’s Instagram page. Fans can go to any location and mention Weather Edwards to get a 15% off discount.
Edwards is always looking for ways to make his weather reports more entertaining but it’s his natural humor and up-beat personality that makes his reports so endearing. People who follow Edwards’ forecasts all seem to have the same reaction. “That’s Dave, I know him. He’s doing the weather,” he joked.
Don’t look for Edwards to replace Al Roker on the Today Show just yet as Edwards says he isn’t giving up his day job. “I’m a better business development director than I am a forecaster” he noted. Judging by the last snowstorm to hit New York, he may be right but we’re hoping to see a lot more of Dave ‘Weather’ Edwards’ reports.
The ‘Weather’ Edwards long-term forecast for the Spring is a pleasant one and in the words of Mr. G, Edwards precited it would be “warm with golden sunshine.” It’s always sunny in Livingston when Weather Edwards is doing his report and no matter how much slush or puddles you have to avoid on the walk to work, his reports are sure to brighten up your day.
Be sure to follow Dave ‘Weather’ Edwards’ reports on Facebook and Instagram and you can watch more of his weather reports at weatheredwards.com