Lauren Linahan

Lauren Linahan joined the WBRC First Alert Weather Team in November 2021 as the new Weekend Evening Meteorologist, replacing Wes Wyatt after he was promoted to Chief Meteorologist. She comes to Birmingham from WTVM, Gray Television’s sister station in Columbus, Georgia. Lauren served as the morning meteorologist for more than three years, forecasting every weekday for the Chattahoochee Valley, which includes west Georgia and east Alabama. She loved providing sunshine, laughs, and a little caffeine boost early in the morning to help people get out the door and get their day started. While in Columbus, she covered Hurricane Michael and the deadly March 3, 2019 tornado outbreak, two of the most transformative moments of her career.

Though Lauren comes to Alabama from her home state of Georgia, this is not her first stop in the Yellowhammer state. Lauren’s first on-air job was as a meteorologist and reporter at WTVY, Gray Television’s sister station in Dothan, Alabama. One of Lauren’s favorite aspects of working in southeast Alabama was traveling to north Florida for the landfall of Hurricane Hermine, as well as covering stories focused on environmental and animal advocacy.

Lauren grew up in Valdosta, Georgia AKA Winnersville USA and went to college in her hometown. Though she started off school with the intentions of majoring in theatre, she ended up pursuing her lifelong passion for weather and conquering her fear of math by graduating from Valdosta State University with a B.S. in Environmental Geosciences and a B.A. in French in 2012. She also completed Mississippi State’s Broadcast Meteorology Program in 2017. After graduation, Lauren pursued her burgeoning interest in media while working as a tour guide at CNN in Atlanta. While there, she spent her free time shadowing the network’s meteorologists, laying the foundation for her future broadcasting career.

Lauren earned her National Weather Association Seal of Approval. She is an active member of the American Meteorological Society and serves on their Board for Early Career Professionals and completed the organization’s Early Career Leadership Academy. Apart from professional accolades, Lauren won Best News Personality two years in a row in the Columbus Ledger Enquirer’s Readers’ Choice Awards.

In addition to meteorology (and memes, of course), Lauren uses her platform to fight the stigma on mental health. In her free time, Lauren likes to indulge in Mexican and Thai cuisine (and any local food), go to the theatre, spend time with her plants (#PlantMom), and explore the great outdoors. But her favorite past-time is hands down a chill night in with her toothless rescue cat, Ophelia. Lauren is stoked

to be back in Sweet Home Alabama, and as a Harry Potter nerd (Slytherin House represent!), could not be more excited about serving the "Magic City!"