Growing up in the eastern part of Long Island, N.Y., Chris Gloninger got an appreciation first hand on the tremendous affect weather has on us.

"Two birthdays and two hurricanes, and I liked them," Gloninger said of his early days, experiencing a major storm’s wrath twice by the time he was two years old. "My parents figured out early that (I) really like this stuff."

Gloninger will join the weather staff at WISN-TV Ch. 12 on July 29. He’ll be forecasting on weekend evenings, replacing Luke Sampe, who will be the new chief meteorologist at WRFV-TV in Green Bay.

"Chris is a highly-skilled meteorologist who will be a great addition to the Weather Watch 12 Team," WISN news director Chris Gegg said.

"He has extensive experience reporting live in extreme weather conditions, including covering Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Irene. Chris will be a strong compliment to meteorologists Mark Baden, Sally Severson and Jeremy Nelson."

Taking a break while packing, Gloninger told me that he is excited to be making the trip to Milwaukee. He had his final shifts at WRGB-TV in Albany, N.Y., last weekend.

"It’s an exciting opportunity," Gloninger said. "I’ve worked near the lakes – Lake Ontario, Lake Huron, and now Lake Michigan."

Gloninger said that he’s been through Wisconsin before, while once chasing tornados. The thing about Milwaukee weather, as we well know, is that we get a little bit of everything.

"Wisconsin is a meteorologist's dream," Gloninger said.

"Unpredictable, changing weather patterns make forecasting in southeastern Wisconsin an exciting challenge. I'm also drawn to the leadership team here. Mark, Sally, Jeremy - we all share a passion for what we do and I'm really looking forward working with them."

When in the city for the interview, Gloninger said he fell in love with the Third Ward. He also had the chance to check out the lake shore and Miller Park. He is bringing his parents out in the next couple of weeks to check out everything before he starts work at the end of the month.

"Safety and accuracy are the cornerstone of our weather coverage," said Jan Wade, president and general manager at WISN. "Chris’ experience and enthusiasm will be a great addition to our strong team of meteorologists and we are thrilled to have him on board."

Upon graduation from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire, the meteorologist worked at TV stations in Rochester, N.Y., Saginaw, Mich., and Albany, and received an Emmy nomination for his work covering storm flooding in Michigan. Gloninger is a member of the American Meteorological Society, and in 2007, he earned a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist accreditation, the society’s highest certification.

PICK UP: Showtime’s newest original production "Ray Donovan" with Liev Schreiber has been picked up for a second season.

"’Ray Donovan’ is on track to be our biggest season-one show ever," Showtime Networks President David Nevins said in a statement.

The premier brought in more than 6 million viewers.

Schreiber ("X-Men Origins: Wolverine," "The Manchurian Candidate," "Salt") stars as the title character, Ray Donovan, who works as a high-powered fixer, tasked to eliminate problems for celebrities and athletes.