Roberta McArthur: Operational Meteorologist

Woman in black shirt smiles next to a bench outdoors.
Photo: Roberta McArthur

“I am grateful to work in a field that I love, with co-workers who also share that same enthusiasm.”

Roberta McArthur has worked with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) for over 10 years as an Operational Meteorologist and is currently acting Marine Program Supervisor for the Atlantic Region. Roberta first joined the Meteorological Service of Canada as a student, completing three work terms with the Atlantic Storm Prediction Centre (ASPC) in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. She then spent five years with the Canadian Meteorological Aviation Centre-East before returning to the ASPC.

Roberta had been interested in severe weather such as thunderstorms and hurricanes since high school, with one of her dreams being to work at the Canadian Hurricane Centre (CHC). She says that this dream became a reality when she trained to become a hurricane forecaster during Hurricane Dorian in September 2019. Roberta says she can remember the energy in the office before and during the hurricane’s landfall in Nova Scotia, as the team worked vigilantly to provide Canadians with the most accurate and timely information available on the storm.

Over her 10-year career, Roberta has witnessed many exciting advancements within the Meteorological Service of Canada that motivate the forecasting work she does each day for both public and marine clients.

“Our products and technologies are evolving to keep pace with the way our modern society functions,” says Roberta, who has seen the benefits of using resources like Facebook, Twitter, and the WeatherCAN app as a method of sharing weather information. WeatherCAN is a mobile application that promotes public safety by providing accurate and weather information to Canadians, in a modern and accessible way.

In her current role, Roberta is leading the Eastern operations for ECCC’s Marine Weather Information Services demonstration project as part of the Oceans Protection Plan (OPP).  As part of this demonstration project, which aims to improve marine safety through enhanced marine weather forecasts, Roberta oversees the three weather buoys located within Maritime waters.

To learn more about Roberta’s OPP work, please refer to the Marine Weather Information Services fact sheet (PDF).

Here are a few random facts about Roberta:

  • What was your first job? Ticket cashier at the Calgary Stampede.
  • If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be? New Zealand.
  • If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? That is a tough one…probably pizza.
  • What is your favourite flavour of ice cream? Chocolate chip cookie dough.
  • If you were a super-hero, what powers would you have? The power to control the weather.
  • What form of public transportation do you prefer? (air, boat, train, bus, car, etc.) Air, I’ve always enjoyed being in and among the clouds.
  • Summer or winter? Summer…minus the bugs.
  • What's your favourite holiday? Christmas!
  • Do you love or hate rollercoasters? Love them! We need more of them out on the east coast.
  • What's your favourite movie? As cliché as this sounds, I’d have to go with Twister.

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