A native of Beacon Falls, Connecticut, who was raised in White River Junction, Vermont, Cantore graduated from Lyndon State College in 1986. The Weather Channel gave him his first job out of college in July of that year and he has worked there ever since. Cantore has become one of the most well-known meteorologists on television. Algis Laukaitis of the Lincoln Journal Starhas referred to Cantore as the "rock star of meteorologists". Cantore has been lauded for his ability to "break down" complicated weather events into terms the average viewer can understand. Cantore is often selected to go to report on severe weather events. Since the ratings for the Weather Channel increase during these events, Cantore has become a recognizable figure. In particular, viewers' association of Cantore's presence with incoming or in-progress severe weather events became so strong that the Weather Channel lampooned it in a one-minute 2011 commercial spot in which Cantore goes on a beach vacation, panicking nearby beachgoers and locals who take his presence as an ominous sign. Though he is best known for his live field coverage of major weather events his contributions go well beyond severe weather field reporting. His early work at TWC included developing the audience favorite Fall Foliage Forecast. He has reported from events such as the Space Shuttle Discovery launch, the "Winter X Games," PGA tournaments, NFL games and more. Jim is a member of both the National Weather Association and the American Meteorological Society. He holds the AMS Television Seal of Approval. He also received the NOAA-David S. Johnson Award in 2003 for his innovative use of environmental satellite technology. Aside from live reporting for TWC, Cantore also serves as the narrator on the TWC series Storm Stories. He also narrates Local On The 8s. He is featured in the beginning of the ECHL'sStockton Thunder entrance video saying "Hello, this is meteorologist Jim Cantore from the Weather Channel; a special weather advisory has been issued for the Central Valley—a 100% chance of thunder." After NBCUniversal's acquisition of The Weather Channel in 2008, Cantore has occasionally filled in for Al Roker on The Today Show. He was also in London hosting weather segments for NBC during the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Viral videos
On January 28, 2014, while doing a live on-location report at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, Cantore was charged by a student named Colin Marcelli. Cantore noticed the charge, and kneed Marcelli in the groin. Marcelli immediately ran off. Cantore never broke his train of thought nor appeared frazzled during the incident. A recording of the shot has gained upwards of two million views on YouTube. On February 14, 2015, while covering the impacts of Winter Storm Neptune along the South Shore of Massachusetts, an intense band of thundersnow struck the area, causing Cantore to react excitedly to the presence of the ultra-rare phenomenon. The video of his reaction now has over 5,000,000 views on YouTube. On October 10, 2018, while covering landfall of Hurricane Michael in Panama City Beach, Florida, Cantore was forced to quickly dodge a flying piece of lumber while reporting live. Video of the incident was viewed on Twitter more than 500,000 times in the hour after its occurrence.
Family
Jim married Tamra Cantore, whom he met while at TWC. Their marriage produced a daughter Christina and a son Ben. Tamra has Parkinson's disease and both children have Fragile X syndrome. Jim and Tamra divorced in 2009. Cantore does charitable work for both diseases, supporting FRAXA, the Fragile X Research Foundation, and the Parkinson’s Unity Walk. He also contributes his time to Make-a-Wish Foundation events around the country and he has also served as a celebrity cabinet member with the American Red Cross. Cantore has been dating Andrea Butera, of CNN, since 2010.
