The Passion and Face of Weather

A breeze of good fortune led Janet Bolívar to Telemundo 62

Philadelphia, PA. – She is passionate about communications, and that same passion gives her strength as an advocate for animals. She is Janet Bolívar, the weather presenter at Telemundo 62, a station she joined in April 2022.

Born in Puerto Rico to a Cuban mother and Puerto Rican father, Janet holds a degree in journalism from the University of Puerto Rico and a master’s degree in international communications from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico. She also obtained certification in meteorology for the media at Mississippi State University.

This young professional has won four Emmy awards. Before joining Telemundo 62, which covers Philadelphia, southern New Jersey, and Delaware, Janet worked for three years as a weather presenter at Telemundo Houston. She had previously spent two years as a weather presenter and field meteorologist at Telemundo Arizona and worked six years as a reporter for GFR Media in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

To share her professional challenges and rewards, Janet Bolívar spoke with Hispanic Media, revealing the challenges she has faced and overcome throughout her career.

“I really enjoy my work because I feel like I can help communities.” 

You are approaching three years as the weather presenter in the tri-state area with Telemundo 62. How has this period been?
It’s been a very rewarding time professionally because Telemundo is part of a strategic partnership with NBC, which is excellent for me on a professional level. I have the opportunity to learn and grow, as I work with excellent colleagues, because we’re essentially two stations in one. This gives me the chance to work hand-in-hand with the entire NBC and Telemundo team.

On the other hand, working with the communities has been great because I am Puerto Rican with Cuban roots, and we Hispanics are like white rice, we’re everywhere and get along with everyone.

This is the first market where I’ve worked with such a large Puerto Rican audience, so I feel at home because I have the same connection here as when I visit Puerto Rico. The community’s reception has been very nice, and the audience here needs us as a media outlet to address many issues in our communities related to safety and the economy. In my case, I work in weather, and our job is to guide the communities when severe weather events occur in Philadelphia, from winter storms to spring-summer storm outbreaks with tornadoes and severe storms. Our mission is to save lives and property, making sure people feel supported by us during those moments.

Janet Bolívar, the weather presenter at Telemundo 62

How do you compare your experience covering weather in Houston, Texas, then the desert in Arizona, and now Philadelphia?
Each region in the United States has its own rhythm and personality. Here, in the tri-state area of Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware, on the one hand, I feel more in touch with my Puerto Rican roots because we have a large Puerto Rican audience, and that makes me feel at home. On the other hand, the life here is much faster, typical of the Northeast. In Philadelphia, the lifestyle is a bit New York-style, very fast-paced. So, I think in every market I’ve worked in, I’ve picked up the pace.

You arrived in Philadelphia after the pandemic. How did your daily life as a weather presenter change?
A lot. The biggest shock was in Houston because I arrived at the end of 2018, lived through 2019 normally, and in April 2020, the pandemic was officially declared in the U.S.; everything took a 180-degree turn.

I was sent to work remotely and did my weather segment from home. With the help of Telemundo Houston, I set up a makeshift studio in my living room, and it was strange because I went from being in a station studio with a whole team to being in a room in my house with a cell phone and some makeshift lights. It was a tough adjustment.

But humans get used to everything. Even though I didn’t have direct contact with my colleagues, I didn’t have to deal with Houston traffic or spend as much time outside. However, it was definitely a huge challenge, especially when we had to cover severe weather with many limitations. I had my laptop with all the systems and radar, but it wasn’t the same as being in the station with the whole team and technology. It was a challenge to get used to it.

What has been the most challenging and most rewarding moment of your career?
I think working in the weather section, the challenges lie in forecasting the weather. The atmosphere is so unpredictable, and if it were easy, there would be many more people in this field.

For six consecutive years at Telemundo, we’ve had the most accurate weather forecasts in the tri-state area. In general, all Telemundo stations are always number one because we have the best technology, combined with a well-prepared team, and during severe weather moments, we can make the most accurate forecasts.

When hurricanes or storms occur, we stay on air uninterrupted, regardless of how many hours it takes, sometimes with rotating staff for days. It can be exhausting to be on air for long hours, but it is very rewarding to know that you’re doing your part to keep people safe during these events, to make sure they’re well-informed, and address their concerns. I really enjoy this part of my job, being able to help the communities.

As an animal advocate, how do you integrate this passion into your professional life?
I always try to convey the message of adoption and rescuing dogs. In fact, Telemundo and NBC have an annual campaign called “Clean the Shelters,” which is my favorite campaign because it first brings attention to the problem of all the dogs in shelters who need a second chance at life.

We know that there are many shelters in the U.S., especially in Puerto Rico, that cannot handle so many dogs. We also know what happens to them if they are not adopted; unfortunately, they have to be euthanized. So, we send the message not to buy pets, but to try to change the culture of wanting a dog based on its breed, urging people to visit shelters and get to know the dogs who need a second chance. That’s why I always promote the message, “Don’t buy, adopt.”

Por: Marianela Rodríguez
Foto: Simón Bolívar | Hispanic Media