Shannon Murphy - Northland's NewsCenter
Shannon Murphy cannot control the weather. Fact.
“Meteorology’s not a perfect science; that’s the difficult part,” she explains.
Lounging on a park bench at the rose garden, her long-haired chihuahua Gus tugging gently against his leash, the meteorologist is every bit the friendly character she appears to be on northland tv screens in the early morning hours.
In a high-profile position such as hers, public criticism is an inevitable hazard of the job. While some viewers have voiced displeasure with her forecasts, other complaints have required the young meteorologist to employ a grounded sense of humor.
“I’ve had to develop a thick skin,” she confesses.
Murphy shakes her head and grins a little, recalling complaints about her wardrobe choices- from turtlenecks that weren’t suited to her “short neck” to a plaid suit that one viewer deemed “too sexy”.
Murphy’s fascination with weather forecasting began in the eighth grade when a radio meteorologist visited her class. After graduating from South St. Paul High School, she jetted of to the University of North Dakota, a foremost school for meteorology, to turn her long-time dream into a reality.
After studying for a while at UND, Shannon decided to explore another field and temporarily gave chemical engineering a try, but the cyclonic pull of weather forecasting and the support of a personal mentor brought her back to her initial calling.
“We need females in this male-dominated field,” she furthered.
Murphy had her next move planned pretty solidly.
“When I graduate, I’ll start in Duluth,” she figured.
So when the time came and a spot opened up at the Northland’s NewsCenter, her sentiment was immediate.
“This is too perfect.”
In short order she had landed the job.
In the nearly two years since then, the sunny broadcaster has become a familiar face, hearkening each new weekday on glowing screens across the northland in the early morning hours.
Many of us groan and grumble at the urgent, unwelcome beep of the alarm clock. Murphy wakes up at “just before three” a.m. In to the office in short order, she settles in to do her forecast and graphics, and later her cut-ins-- those snippets that run during the Today Show broadcast. The up-side of her excruciatingly early start? She’s off work by the time you’re eating lunch.
While forecasting the weather is her first love, her position has allowed Murphy to endeavor into another area that she’s found personally compelling—her work on the Northland’s NewsCenter’s “Your Green Life” series.
“That’s what shaped me into the meteorologist that I am today,” Murphy explains, “[the environment] is so important to the Duluth area. It became a new passion for me, and one I didn’t think I’d have until I came here.”
Murphy admits she hadn’t spent much time in the Twin Ports region, growing up. As an adult, though, she found it to be a perfect fit for her.
“When I came here, I definitely felt welcomed with open arms…it’s a friendly place, a clean place. I knew I’d spend years here.”
Noting the unique appeal of her adopted community, a “suburban-sized city with small town charm,” Shannon adds:
“No matter the weather or the time of day, there are always people outdoors and being active... I’ve also been impressed by the supportiveness of the community. Whether it’s about our colleges or our sports teams, there’s a lot of pride within the city.”
Not only is she up before the dawn cracks, bringing us all a heads-up on the weather, Murphy is in her second season coaching a team in the East Select Soccer Program.
Keeping her toes in a sport she’s loved playing since her youth clearly brings some sunshine to this hard-working weather woman’s life, but she’s also an avid runner, having recently participated in the Grandma’s Half, The Chicago Half, and the Twin Cities Ten marathons.
As a happy transplant, Murphy sees big potential in the Duluth-Superior area.
“There’s so much room to prosper and grow, to bring new businesses in. This is a town with so many hidden gems. I’ve been here two years and I’m still finding new things.”
Shannon Murphy’s forecast for the future: bright and sunny.
The Lowdown
Shannon Murphy
Age: 23
Hometown: Inver Grove Heights, MN
Education: University of North Dakota, B.S. in Atmospheric Sciences. She worked her way through college, in part by spending summers as a waitress at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company restaurant in the Mall of America.
Employer: The Northland’s NewsCenter
Title: Morning Meteorologist
Favorite Eateries: Pizza Luce. She loves their breakfasts, and she’s a regular-enough patron that the waitstaff know to bring her “lemon water and a side salad.” Her favorite entrees involve “anything walleye.”
Favorite Spot to Unwind: While she’s usually tucked into bed before the local nightlife gears up, Murphy enjoys an occasional foray with News Center coworkers to the Twins Bar for “cheap drinks and karaoke.” She does a mean rendition of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” and Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now.”
We’d Never Guess That: Shannon went through a brief, black-haired “goth phase” during early college.
Long-Winter Survival Tip: Surrounding yourself with warm, friendly people is a must. Growing up here helps “immunize” one against the cold, but barring that, The North Face apparel is a staple in Murphy’s wardrobe. Even if you aren’t a tremendous fan of the winter weather, she insists, "living here is worth the hibernation.”
If She Had to Choose a Stage Name It Would Be: “Shannon Shepley”. She’s had it picked out for some time; the alliteration compels her.
Guilty Pleasure TV Show: Murphy is a big fan of Lost and likes to out-solve the contestants on Wheel of Fortune.
Most embarrassing moment on the job: Two months into her tenure as morning meteorologist, Murphy predicted little to no accumulation on a day that West Duluth ultimately saw sixteen inches of snow.
M“The newspaper headline the next day read, ‘Surprise!’” said Murphy, “I called my mom in tears.”
Secret Honey Hole: The Seven Bridges Road, where Murphy has cliff jumped. She doesn’t condone, but has enjoyed, the practice.
