Back in January, the internet was buzzing because KMEG morning meteorologist Katie Nickolaou, did a morning forecast dressed in a Star Trek uniform with the locations being different Star Trek planets. The YouTube episode to date has 2300 views, and it made everyone wonder who was this person, and WHY was she doing a morning forecast for a Sci-Fi show?
Lets start off with the Fandom Forecast that had the internet going nuts.
I got in contact with Katie and asked her if she wouldn’t mind doing an interview for all our Geeky fans, and she agreed. So without further “gilding of the lily”(thank you Paul Bettany as Chaucer in A Knights Tale), I present to you “10 questions with morning weather girl and sci fi nerd Katie Nickolaou”.
1 – give us a short introduction, who are you etc?
Hi! I’m Katie Nickolaou. I’m a broadcast meteorologist and storm chaser in Sioux City,Iowa. I grew up in Michigan and have chased storms across the USA. I’m also a massive nerd, geek, etc. I love all things Sci-Fi and am a part of more fandoms than I can count!
2 – at what age did you decide to become a meteorologist?
I decided to become a meteorologist when I was about 4 years old. My family and I were driving home one night when a storm overtook us. I was completely enamored by the power of the wind and the frequency of the lightning. It was beautiful! When we got home, we found out a tornado passed over us. Instead of being scared, I was excited! I read every book I could about the weather and constantly tried to learn as much as I can. I went to a 4 year college, got my Meteorology degree, and haven’t looked back since!
3 – favorite science fiction show growing up?
Definitely Star Trek. My dad introduced it to me when I was in middle school. I was bullied horribly, and found Star Trek helped me to recover. It helped me to think, dare I say, logically. It learned to outsmart my anxiety, recovered, and am now chasing my dreams (Literally! I chase tornadoes!). Without Star Trek, I’m not sure who I’d be. I owe the franchise and everyone who is a part of it so much.
4 – favorite science fiction movie?
I. LOVE. GALAXY QUEST. No matter how many times I watch it, I never get tired of it! It has a fantastic plot, the actors knock it out of the park, and it’s laugh-out-loud funny!
5 – what made you want to do fandom weather reports?
One of my favorite shows, DuckTales (the reboot), released the launch date for their second season. I was joking with some friends that it would be fun to make a forecast for Duckburg. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how easy it would be to actually make the forecast! I spent a few days looking up locations in Duckburg, building graphics, and deciding what things to include. A week later we filmed it and, in anattempt to make people smile, I shared it on my social media accounts. I had no idea how many people would enjoy my work! I figured, if I enjoy making them and people enjoy watching, why not make more?! And thus the Fandom Forecast was born.
6 – Your Star Trek weather report has over 2.2K, did you expect it to “blow up”?
I had no idea how many people would see my Star Trek Fandom Forecast! I had hoped that someone from Picard or one of the other series would see it and enjoy it, but never in a million years would I have thought that multiple Trek alumni would see it! It still doesn’t feel real!
7 – you have guest stared on Axanar live, what was that like, anything unexpected?
Axanar Live continues to be a blast! Everyone has been so kind to me, and I honestly can’t believe I get to podcast with them. I’ve been a fan of Axanar since Prelude to Axanar was released, so to be working with them is absolutely surreal. One thing I didn’t expect was how kind the fans were. I always prepare myself for people to leave negative comments on my work, but to this day no one has. Everyone has been so supportive and I can’t thank them enough!
(Katie forgot to mention that whenever the last shoot for Axanar takes place in LA, Alec Peters has invited her to appear in the film(something she is looking forward to) JT
8 – any changes in your reporting due to the Pandemic(yeah I know I asked you that on Axanar after dark, but this is for everyone else)?
The COVID19 pandemic has been a curveball for sure. It’s made work difficult, and I’m just waiting for the call saying I need to work from home. What’s worse is that we are in spring, which is peak severe weather and tornado season in the US. When severe weather is expected, I head out into the field to report live on any storms that form and track tornadoes. Thankfully we haven’t had much severe weather yet, but I worry for the day we do. With social distancing, I’m not sure how we’ll report in the field, but I’m sure we’ll find a way to make it work!
9 – any new fandom forecasts in the works?
Absolutely! I have a very long list that I keep adding to. The Orville, Doctor Who, Axanar, Good Omens, Broadway Musicals, Disney, Marvel… the list goes on and on! I’m always taking suggestions as well!
10 – how can people follow you?
I can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as Meteorologist Katie Nickolaou . I post about the weather, fun facts, Fandom Forecasts, etc. on my professional pages. If people only want to see my Fandom Forecasts, they can follow my Fandom Forcasts onTwitter or my YouTube channel.
Thanks for allowing me to interview you.
