Ben Burkel

Ben Burkel joined NewsChannel 21 in the summer of 2009 as a meteorologist and you can see him weekday evenings on KTVZ and KFXO. He grew up in suburban Chicago and has always had an interest in the weather and specifically severe weather conditions.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in meteorology from Purdue University, Ben served as a weather officer at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. There, he directed 25 forecasters in providing continuous weather support to over 100 Department of Defense installations.

Upon fulfilling his commitment to the Air Force, he returned to the private sector and was employed in Chicago as a meteorologist for Acciona Energy. In this position, he forecasted both winds and energy output for the development of wind farms throughout the United States.

In his spare time, you can find Ben teeing up at one of the local golf courses, skiing on Mount Bachelor, watching the Purdue Boilermakers and Green Bay Packers, or even jumping out of a perfectly good plane — since he has his skydiving license.

You can reach Ben at bburkel@ktvz.com.