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Professional Biography

Kaj O’Mara is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) with nearly twenty years of experience in meteorology. An elite communicator with dual meteorology certifications, Kaj brought his expertise in severe weather to over one million residents across eastern Iowa during his tenure as a 3x Emmy Award-winning Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM). Kaj has delivered over 20,000 weather forecasts for television and radio, logged over 1,000 official weather observations and has also authored over 350 forensic meteorology reports. Kaj is also board chair of the American Meteorological Society’s Board of Certified Consulting Meteorologists, entrusted with maintaining the high standards of excellence, character, and integrity necessary to applicants during the certification process, and is also a member of the Association of Certified Meteorologists.

A key consulting experience for Kaj was an in-person appraisal hearing for alleged damage sustained to multiple buildings due to a storm near Detroit, Michigan. Kaj was able to explain the weather conditions in an easy-to-understand, concise manner to the entire appraisal panel, consisting of engineers and building consultants. His meteorological findings helped assist the panel of experts to determine a fair monetary award.

One of Kaj’s neatest consulting experiences, however, included assisting the Iowa Hawkeyes football team regarding an impending blizzard expected enroute to their December bowl game. In taking Kaj’s expertise of severe winter weather into consideration, the team was able to alter travel plans (including charter flights) to avoid the blizzard and still arrive safely in time for the game.

Credentials & Certifications

  • Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM)
  • Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM)

Professional Experience

  • Senior Meteorologist | YAGroup | 2026
  • Assistant Chief Meteorologist | J.S. Held, LLC | 2023 - 2026
  • Meteorologist | KCRG-TV | 2007 - 2023

Publications and Presentations

  • Clark, A. J., C. J. Schaffer, W. A. Gallus Jr., and K. Johnson-O’Mara, 2009: Climatology of storm reports relative to upper-level jet streaks. Wea. Forecasting, 24, 1032– 1051. I started this research in my undergraduate years in December of 2006 at Iowa State University. The research was continued by Mr. C. J. Schaffer and Mr. A.J. Clark under the guidance of Dr W.A. Gallus Jr. (December 2009)
  • “Weather as a Witness: The Role of Forensic Meteorology in Crime Scene Reconstruction”. Crime Scene Reconstruction Joint Conference Hosted by ACSR & IAFSM, Boulder, CO. Presented: February 25, 2026. (February 2026)
  • Study regarding the relationship between reported “tree damage” and measured winds. Co-researchers: Dr. Scott Gunter (University of Louisville) & Mr. Daniel Schreiber, CCM (J.S. Held, LLC). “What’s in a storm report – do downed trees confirm severe wind?” Central Iowa NWA Severe Storms & Doppler Radar Conference, Ankeny, Iowa. Presented: March 28, 2024. (March 2024)
  • “A Summer’s Worth of Rain in 36 Hours: The Breach of the Hartwick Dam at Lake Delhi”. Central Iowa NWA Severe Storms & Doppler Radar Conference, Des Moines, Iowa. Presented: March 2011. (March 2011)
  • Co-presenters: Kaj O’Mara (KCRG-TV) and Eileen Loan (KWWL-TV). “A Media Perspective of the Parkersburg EF5 Tornado – Competing Stations Coming Together”. Central Iowa NWA Severe Storms & Doppler Radar Conference, Des Moines, Iowa. Presented: March 2009. Special note: This was the first time in the conference's history that meteorologists from competing stations presented together. (March 2009)
  • “An Inspiring Career in a few short years”. American Meteorological Society’s Eighth Annual Student Conference, Phoenix, Arizona. Presented: January 11, 2009. (January 2009)
  • Lunch Speaker: “Weather Impacts on Ag Insurance”. Agricultural Claims Association Conference, Altoona, Iowa. Presented: March 10, 2025. (March 2025)
  • “Riding The Storm: Hail Damage to Solar Farms”. Agricultural Claims Association Conference, Altoona, Iowa. Presented: March 11, 2026. (March 2026)

Education

  • Bachelor of Science (BS), Meteorology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, 2007

Affiliations

  • American Meteorological Society
  • Association of Certified Meteorologists