Draft:Judson Jones

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Judson Jones, meteorologist and journalist, photographed in 2025


Judson Jones (born 1983) is an American meteorologist, multimedia journalist, and policy reporter. He is a Domestic Correspondent and Senior Meteorologist at The New York Times and previously worked at CNN, with reporting recognized by a Peabody Award and an Emmy nomination.

Early life and education

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Jones earned a B.A. in Mass Communications from the University of Central Arkansas and a Certificate in Meteorology from Mississippi State University.

Career

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The New York Times (2022–present)

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Jones joined The New York Times on October 31, 2022, and was promoted to Domestic Correspondent and Senior Meteorologist in 2025.[1][2]

At the Times, his work blends field reporting, multimedia storytelling, and public service. He helped launch the Extreme Weather Forecast Map and Email Alerts, a tool that sends personalized notices about hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and heat risks.[3]

He has reported extensively from the field, embedding with tornado scientists and covering outbreaks across the Plains and the South. In 2024, he wrote about storm chasing and the film Twisters, explaining the real science behind tornadoes.[4] In 2025, his Times Insider feature In U.S., Tornadoes Cause Springtime Chaos offered behind-the-scenes insights from Oklahoma and explained how meteorologists communicate uncertainty.[5]

Jones frequently appears on camera in New York Times videos, such as Federal Cuts Are Endangering Weather Balloon Launches, where he explains how budget decisions affect forecasting.[6]

He has also covered weather policy, including reports on budget cuts to the National Weather Service under Ken Graham and efforts to maintain staffing and data collection.[7][8]

His major coverage at the Times includes:

  • Hurricane Helene (2024): covered through podcasts, live blogs, and videos.[9][10][11]
  • California wildfires (2025): featured on The Daily in L.A. on Fire.[12]
  • Maui wildfire timeline (2023): co-created Inside the Deadly Maui Inferno, Hour by Hour, which won a Peabody Award for Interactive Journalism.[13][14]

CNN (2007–2022)

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Jones joined CNN on October 14, 2007, first as a tour guide and later as a producer. He became a Digital Weather Producer/Meteorologist in 2016 and remained until 2022.[15]

His first authored national media story was The space adventure you can’t miss (2012), covering Felix Baumgartner’s stratospheric skydive.[16] In 2017, he authored The solar eclipse is here for CNN’s live VR coverage of the solar eclipse.[17]

His most personal project was Storm Chasing (2020), an interactive feature pairing Eric Meola’s tornado photography with Jones’s creative narrative writing. He has described it as the story he was most proud of for showcasing his writing voice.[18]

Jones contributed to digital coverage of hurricanes and severe weather, earning a News & Documentary Emmy nomination for CNN’s coverage of Hurricane Harvey and the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season.[19]

Other work

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Outside of newsrooms, Jones hosted and produced Off the BeltLine, a YouTube series exploring Atlanta culture (c. 2014–2015). He has also traveled to six continents, often documenting his journeys through photography that blends artistic expression with field reporting.

Personal life

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Jones married Traci Taylor in 2011. They have two sons, Wilder and Oaks. His personal photography frequently highlights family adventures outdoors, echoing the themes of resilience and connection found in his journalism.[20]


Recognition

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  • Peabody Award (2023) – for The New York Times’ Maui wildfire interactive timeline.[21]
  • News & Documentary Emmy Nomination (2018) – for CNN’s coverage of Hurricane Harvey and the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season.[22]
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References

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  1. ^ "Judson Jones joins The Times's Weather Data team" (Press release). The New York Times Company. October 31, 2022.
  2. ^ "Judson Jones – profile". The New York Times.
  3. ^ "Extreme Weather Forecast Map & Email Alerts". The New York Times. 2023.
  4. ^ "In 'Twisters,' Storm Chasers Want to Disrupt a Tornado. Is That Possible?". The New York Times. July 19, 2024.
  5. ^ "In U.S., Tornadoes Cause Springtime Chaos". The New York Times. May 21, 2025.
  6. ^ "Federal Cuts Are Endangering Weather Balloon Launches". The New York Times. 2025.
  7. ^ "National Weather Service Faces Cuts Under Trump". The New York Times. May 15, 2025.
  8. ^ "NWS Hiring Amid Cuts". The New York Times. August 7, 2025.
  9. ^ "The Daily: Hurricane Helene's 600 Miles of Destruction". The New York Times. October 1, 2024.
  10. ^ "Why Hurricane Helene Was So Strong". The New York Times. September 2024.
  11. ^ "Hurricane Helene live coverage". The New York Times. September 27, 2024.
  12. ^ "The Daily: L.A. on Fire". The New York Times. January 9, 2025.
  13. ^ "Inside the Deadly Maui Inferno, Hour by Hour". The New York Times. November 1, 2023.
  14. ^ "Inside the Deadly Maui Inferno, Hour by Hour". Peabody Awards. 2024.
  15. ^ "Judson Jones – profile". CNN.
  16. ^ "The space adventure you can't miss". CNN. October 13, 2012.
  17. ^ "The solar eclipse is here". CNN. August 21, 2017.
  18. ^ "Storm Chasing". CNN. April 2020.
  19. ^ "News & Documentary Emmy Nominations – 39th Annual" (PDF). National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. 2018.
  20. ^ "Judson Jones (@sonofjud) • Instagram". Instagram. Meta Platforms, Inc. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  21. ^ "Inside the Deadly Maui Inferno, Hour by Hour". Peabody Awards. 2024.
  22. ^ "News & Documentary Emmy Nominations – 39th Annual" (PDF). National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. 2018.


[[Category:1983 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American television weather presenters]] [[Category:American journalists]] [[Category:American meteorologists]]