Jim Castillo is a certified broadcast meteorologist at 5 On Your Side in St. Louis, Missouri.
On April 7, 1980, a tornado hit Jim’s Florissant neighborhood. He was glued to the television as the 5 On Your Side meteorologist gave his family the information they needed to stay safe during the severe weather. When it was all over, he remembers going outside and seeing blades of grass embedded into the paint of his home, with pink insulation from other homes also stuck to his house.
For some kids, severe weather like this is traumatic. But for Jim, it was fascinating. It made him want to become a meteorologist and keep other families safe.
Jim is a graduate of Brown Elementary, Hazelwood Central, and University of Missouri-Columbia. He earned a degree in Atmospheric Science while cheering for the Tigers at basketball and football games.
Since college, Jim has worked in some of the biggest television markets in the country, including New York City, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.
“I moved around a lot because I wanted to experience every type of weather and storm activity,” said Jim. “That’s me in a nutshell. I’d feel like I was missing something if I hadn’t done that first.”
Work in those markets earned Jim several Emmy Awards, an RTNA Golden Mic Award, and an RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence.
In January 2020, Jim moved to St. Louis to fulfill his dream of forecasting the weather at his hometown station.
Jim is happily married and has a dog named Storm. He also holds a real estate license and enjoys flying after passing the FAA Private Pilot-Airplane written exam.
You can contact Jim at jcastillo@ksdk.com, and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
