Jesse Ritka, the weekend morning meteorologist on WTMJ Channel 4, calls herself a morning person. And that's good, because the 27-year-old Minnesota native – but rabid Packers fan – finds that she can let personality shine through in her sunrise forecasts.

A self-proclaimed math nerd, Ritka loves the teaching side of meteorology, getting out and speaking to schools, and particularly showing girls that science can be cool. Ritka joined the "Live at Daybreak" team in February 2011, but in that short time she's used social media to connect with viewers and has even taught her four weather colleagues a thing or two.

We caught up with Ritka over coffee to talk about Siri, growing up in Vikings Country and why predicting snowfalls is her favorite part of her job. Enjoy this latest Milwaukee Talks.

OnMilwaukee.com: When you came up in the news business, you didn't have the luxury of focusing only on meteorology, right?

Jesse Ritka: In South Dakota, I was reporter, photographer, editor, writer and meteorologist. Hey, it was great experience.

OMC: That experience has had you circling around Wisconsin until you finally got here. Kind of like a tornado, actually.

JR: That's a good analogy. I love the Midwest. I was born in Minnesota, but let me make this clear: I'm a Packers fan. My mom is from Manitowoc.

OMC: Is that true, or do you just have to say that?

JR: Yes. I'm serious. My husband is a Vikings fan, so twice a year, we don't talk. I've got a picture I can show you from third grade, wearing a Packers shirt.

OMC: OK, sorry to interrupt. Tell me the rest of the story.

JR: I went to college at Iowa State, circled around to South Dakota and made it back to Wisconsin. I only worked (in TV) in Sioux Falls before here, and I was honestly thinking I wouldn't get the job in Milwaukee when I sent my tape to TMJ. I expected I'd get to Green Bay first and see how it goes. When they called me up for an interview, it was really fast and I wasn't expecting it.

OMC: You still do some non-weather stories on Channel 4, but weather is obviously your passion, right?

JR: I knew I wanted to be a meteorologist since seventh grade. I initially wanted to be an actress, because my parents are both communications teachers and really involved in community theater. I wasn't getting the leads in plays, so I wondered what was right for me. I was really good in math and science, and I thought this might be it. I went down that path to set myself up for this. I chose Iowa State because I didn't know if I wanted to go into TV or into research, because I had a love for math. I worked at a private forecasting firm, and then I got an internship on TV side of things, which is a lot more "me." I got a journalism minor, because I thought it might give me an edge. Now, I've been lucky to do positive stories, science stories and weather stories.

OMC: How have you changed as a meteorologist since you first got to Milwaukee? As a viewer, you seem more polished.

JR: Oh yeah, my nerves when I first got here – going from market 100-plus to market less than 35 – that's a pretty big jump in the television world. I was very nervous when I first started. Now I can let my personality come through. The comfort level helped me relax.

OMC: I get the sense you're a funny person. Do you let that part of you exist on the air?

JR: Silly or punny? I like to have fun. I like to let some of the nerd side of me show, which can sometimes come off as funny. When you're talking about a serious event, you completely close that off. But last winter, I almost got bored. You have to come up with something to keep people interested. That's why I'm never going to go to California. They only give you a certain amount of time to say it's sunny and 70, whereas here, you're pretty much guaranteed a full two minutes to do a weather report.

OMC: Why is weather on TV so detailed? Do people really need to know the depth of information that you provide?

JR: Part of it is credibility. Anybody can just look at the weather service and see that it's 40 and sunny. At least with me, I like to put some of the science in there, because then you establish with people that have the education, the science background, that they can trust that your forecast will be relatively accurate. I pride myself when I have a week-out forecast and I nail the temperature. Especially when it comes to severe weather situations. Tornados, for example, are extremely hard to predict.

OMC: Is that what separates you from, say, Siri?

JR: Don't get me started on Siri! Are you really going to trust a computer or your local meteorologist who knows the local microclimate of Milwaukee, of southeastern Wisconsin, who's telling you the lake is going to have an impact on our temperatures, and no, we're not going get quite to 100.

OMC: So Siri is close enough, but ...

JR: Siri can be in the ballpark, but to be meteorologically accurate, it's within three degrees. And when it comes to the timing of snow and rain, I don't think she's got it. Will it be a messy commute home, for example?

OMC: Do you think the presentation of weather on TV is outdated? Do people wait around for your forecast? And how has technology changed things for you?

JR: Twitter wasn't a big thing in South Dakota. Here, there's such a social media calling. People want it and use it. I think it's another way to be interactive with people, but I think technology has helped out because I know on certain days when it's going to be rainy, it's a lot easier to take out my radar app, draw on it, and tweet it. But it doesn't reach people like TV does. One of those most popular things on our website is the seven-day planner, and the video weather forecast. Those are updated at least four times a day.

OMC: Do people point out all your mistakes but never congratulate you for getting it right?

JR: No! I've heard more "thanks you's" and positives comments about getting the forecast right in southeastern Wisconsin. I never expected that, but there haven't been enough opportunities for people to lash out at me over severe weather.

OMC: Do you get fired up over severe weather?

JR: No. I love looking at the radar and severe weather parameters, but I always know what's on the line on those days. I get pumped up about snowstorms, because I love snow forecasting, especially with Lake Michigan. I love a challenge, just nailing it down.

OMC: Is Milwaukee one of the hardest places to forecast weather?

JR: Oh yeah. Because of Lake Michigan. When I was interviewing, I went back and looked up all of my college notes on lake effect. I was so nervous about how lakes interact with weather systems, but fortunately we're on the right side of Lake Michigan.

OMC: Have you learned from your meteorologist colleagues?

JR: Oh yeah, with me being the youngest, I've learned from each and every one of them.

OMC: Have you taught them anything?

JR: I try and get them going a little more on Twitter. John Malan and I will chat a lot about global warming. It was interesting to break into the "boys' club." The main challenge is where to put the microphone when I'm wearing a dress.

OMC: There are plenty of female meteorologists here, though, right?

JR: It's still an incredibly male-dominated field, but it's becoming less so because math and science are becoming more stressed for girls. It's a huge reason I'm staying in television: if you can get girls interested in math and science, they can go on to follow that path. If I can inspire a girl, who knows, a girl can find the cure for cancer.

OMC: You also do weather lectures to school children, right?

JR: For me, it makes it more than the just forecast. I love talking to people. I'd much rather speak to 1,000 people than the camera, actually. You can't gauge how you're doing to a cold, hard piece of metal. I love keeping kids engaged.

OMC: You don't have the same TV voice in person.

JR: My struggle has been trying to turn the TV voice off. Sometimes you put the suit on and you go into character. Sometimes I talk a little too high in person, but I get up at 2 in the morning, so I have that low morning voice.

OMC: Yeah, so tell me about a day in your life.

JR: I don't have a social life. I get up at 2 or 2:30 on Saturday or Sunday mornings. I forecast for an hour or an hour and a half, start building graphics, find interesting factoids. I do a couple of radio hits, put my face on and maneuver the microphone on, then type out an email summary for the paper. We'll do a bunch of cut-in for the "Today Show" and our show. Then I'll check the models to make sure the forecast holds. You don't have a visible satellite picture overnight, so cloud cover is what I adjust the most. I'll be tweeting and Facebooking the entire time. If there's rain I'll stay until Michael Fish's duties start up around 1:30 p.m. If there's a chance of severe weather, I have to sit and babysit the radar.

OMC: Are you scripted when you're standing in front of the green screen?

JR: That's all off the top of my head. My brain is thinking a lot faster than my mouth can (speak).

OMC: Actually, you're really fluid.

JR: That you can attribute to my parents. Anytime I'd be practicing a speech, "um" was a no-no word.

OMC: Are you exhausted after a morning on TV?

JR: The nice thing is that I don't have to go right to bed. The 10 p.m. shifts, I couldn't do that, because I'd be up until 2 a.m. I've become more of a morning person. I can go work out right after. I have to get on a regular sleep schedule, though, because Monday through Friday, I report 9-5.

OMC: Did I read that you're a marathon runner?

JR: Yes. I ran the Twin Cities Marathon at the end of college. I ran one in Sioux Falls, and my aunt and I just decided over Thanksgiving that we're going to run the Las Vegas Marathon next year.

OMC: Is Milwaukee where you want to be, or is this a stepping stone to the next market?

JR: You know, I would be fine staying here. I love the Packers, and honestly, I really love the weather team we've got. I love that we've got five meteorologists, which is unheard of in television. I love that there's a 9 to 5 shift, which is unheard of. I love the Midwest. I'm an hour and a half away from my grandparents. The flights are a lot cheaper back to Minneapolis.

And the people are so nice here. We moved her right after the Super Bowl, so the following season was my first in Packers Country. It was so incredible after growing up and working in Vikings Country.

The festivals, the lake, I love them. It's become such a cool, diverse culture to live in. And work is challenging; I don't want to cover hurricanes or sunny California. This the area I want to stay in.

OMC: But isn't the pinnacle of your profession the 10 o'clock news? You might have to wait a long time for that to happen.

JR: I don't need to be the 10 o'clock meteorologist. I want to have a family, and I want to be with my family. I want to be there for my kids' events. I don't want to pigeon-hole myself into that job if it means sacrificing my family. And I'm a morning person, too! I'm more than OK working mornings.