Providence native will play a key role at NWS saving lives and protecting property

Jack Perry, Providence Journal
·3 min read

The new deputy director of the National Weather Service caught the weather bug during the Blizzard of '78 when she was an 8-year-old girl growing up in Providence.

"It was historic. That's what really sparked my interest," Michelle Mainelli said in an interview Wednesday. "I experienced thunder snow not knowing what it was. It was pretty cool."

"When it was happening, I wanted to get out there, but my parents said, 'No, we'll lose you in a snow bank,'" Mainelli said.

Michelle Mainelli, who grew up in Rhode Island, has been appointed deputy director of the National Weather Service.
Michelle Mainelli, who grew up in Rhode Island, has been appointed deputy director of the National Weather Service.

A different kind of storm, Hurricane Gloria, reinforced that fascination in 1985, and after graduating from Providence's Classical High School, Mainelli left Rhode Island for St. Louis University, where she received a bachelor's degree in meteorology in 1992.

In a 33-year career with the National Weather Service that started when she was an intern in the forecast office in St. Louis in 1990, Mainelli has served in a variety of positions and places, including 15 years at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, where she was the first woman to serve as a hurricane specialist and flew into the eye of a hurricane in an airplane.

Mainelli has served as acting deputy director of the National Weather Service since April. On Wednesday, Ken Graham, the agency's director, said he was "thrilled" to announce Mainelli's appointment as deputy director.

"Her scientific and operational expertise and leadership skills are a perfect fit as we transform the NWS to better serve the public, our partners, and build a Weather Ready Nation!," Graham wrote on X, the former Twitter.

Providence native will play a key role at the National Weather Service saving lives and protecting property

As second in command, Mainelli will play a key role at an agency that employs some 4,500 people and has an annual budget of $1.36 billion. Through its 122 offices, including one in Norton, Mass., the weather service provides local forecasts throughout the country.

"Our mission is all about saving lives and mitigating property loss," Mainelli said.

Cars litter the Washington Bridge during the Blizzard of '78, which trapped thousands on their way home from work and brought the state to a standstill. Michelle Mainelli was a child living in Providence during the blizzard, which sparked her interest in the weather.
Cars litter the Washington Bridge during the Blizzard of '78, which trapped thousands on their way home from work and brought the state to a standstill. Michelle Mainelli was a child living in Providence during the blizzard, which sparked her interest in the weather.

"We are the official source of all the warnings. When your phone lights up" with a warning about a weather emergency such as a tornado or flooding, "that's us," Mainelli said.

Ensuring those potentially life-saving messages reach the right people in a world "where we are constantly bombarded with information" is among the challenges the weather service faces, according to Mainelli.

It's important, she said, for the agency to use tools such as social media and its website wisely and foster good two-way communication with the communities it serves. "We're looking at transforming how we connect with communities," Mainelli said.

Mainelli also wants to ensure the agency's "workforce is representative of the community" and it's targeting "the most vulnerable populations with information."

Her links to Rhode Island remain strong while taking on a leadership role at the national organization

The National Weather Service is an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Another Rhode Islander, Gina Raimondo, plays an important role at the Department of Commerce as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

Mainelli doesn't know Raimondo ("I think she was at LaSalle while I was at Classical," she said.), but met her about five years ago while Raimondo was still governor. Mainelli was at the Rhode Island State House celebrating local communities achieving storm preparedness milestones with the weather service.

"It was wonderful," Mainelli said.

Mainelli has never been assigned to the local weather service office, but she spent a few days this summer working out of the Norton office and was impressed with the staff's dedication in monitoring and sending warnings when several tornadoes hit the region.

Although she works out of headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, Mainelli says her links to Rhode Island remain strong.

"My family is all still living in Rhode Island. My closest friends are still up there," she said. "Rhode Island is always home."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: For National Weather Service's Mainelli, it start with Blizzard of '78