Danielle Breezy stands out not just for her fitting last name, but for her vibrant presence as one of Nashville's favorite meteorologists. She arrived in Nashville in 2016 after following a path that took her from Maryland to New York City to Oklahoma ("Where they have the most extreme weather you could ever have!") and then to Boston, where she met the man who would give her a very suitable last name.
But beyond delivering weather forecasts, Breezy is busy championing local events, supporting charitable causes, and embracing the lifestyle, culture, and values that make Nashville unique. And it's her warm personality that keeps fans tuning in day after day.
Tell me a little bit about yourself and how you got started in weather.
Breezy: "I have loved weather since I was a child as a math and science geek, but the day that changed me was when a meteorologist by the name of Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz, (who I think has a great name like me!) came to my school in Philadelphia and did the weather live and I thought, 'This is super cool.' So I went home and told my parents about it. They told me to reach out to him. I reached out to him and he invited me to the TV station. So I got to go, meet him, interview him, and I was hooked. That's when I decided I was going to go into weather. I went to Cornell and studied atmosphere of science. I literally tell people I am a scientist. The broadcasting is secondhand. It's science first."
"I wrote for the Cornell Daily Sun, the paper there. I think I was the first-ever female person in the paper as a meteorologist. And this was in 2004. I was still one of the few females even majoring in this. It was mostly a male-dominated field. A general manager at a local TV station who also went to Cornell saw the Cornell Daily Sun and invited me to the station and asked me to start filling in. So I started on TV doing the weather at age 20."
You've received so many accolades and awards for your work. Is there anyone that really speaks to you?
Breezy: "They're all wonderful and important to me, but I think getting the broadcaster of the year from the American Meteorological Society, which is your peers, the true scientists and meteorologists in the country. For them to select me for my coverage of the 2020 tornadoes and for what I do in terms of going out to schools all the time, going out to communities and explaining how to stay safe during severe weather, they saw that and gave me that award. That's bigger to me than anything because it's my true peers saying you've done a lot."
You're very involved with schools as well. You do a lot with kids.
Breezy: "I tell people that's one thing I'll never stop doing. And the reason is because a meteorologist came to my school in eighth grade, and he also had me as an intern in the summer. I have interns every summer. Our program has become very well known and I have interns from all across the country that come just to work in Nashville because they heard about it. They know they're going to get the training they need from us. And my weather staff, they're all phenomenal in that regard. They all want to help the younger generation. Those things are important to me because I think about my mentors, if they didn't do that for me and pave the way, I wouldn't be where I am."
You do so much.
Breezy: "I think if you are going to be a public person, if you're not doing a lot, then what are you doing? It's part of your job. And part of that responsibility is to bring to light what's going on in communities and how we can help. I do think it's so important to give back. I grew up giving back. I grew up volunteering. My parents taught me that when I was a kid. So I just think it's important. You can give your time, you can give your resources, give your energy. I will do it. If it's a cause I believe in, I'll be on the forefront."
Where do you see your career in the next five years?
Breezy: "Nashville, to me, is now home. As an adult, it's the longest I've ever lived anywhere. I think I have the best management here that I've ever had. And we have such great friends, it's like our chosen family now, it would take a lot for us to ever go anywhere. We just love it here too much. I think this city, the 'it' city, really has us hooked. Everyone's nice, everyone wants to help, you want to help them. It's a magical place. I've never lived anywhere like it."
@daniellebreezytv
"I think Oklahoma was the place where everything changed for me in terms of how I covered severe weather. People would say, 'You saved my life.' That was super important to me and I try to remember that when I'm doing this."