Aurora Starchild
It’s not every day that you see a TV personality outside in the extreme elements. But for this weather reporter, it’s part of her dream job. Meet Good Morning America’s chief meteorologist, the beautiful and adventurous Ginger Zee.
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Ginger Zee Knew She Wanted to Be a Meteorologist Since Age 8
Ginger Renee Colonomos’ maiden name is Zuidgeest, which is how she came to be known as Ginger Zee. Her father chose her first name because of a character on his favorite show, Gilligan’s Island. Ginger was born on January 13, 1981, in Orange, California, but her family moved to Michigan before she turned 1.
Ginger Zee became fascinated with the weather at a young age. “I saw a waterspout on Lake Michigan when I was eight,” she reportedly once told Chicago Mag. “I was mesmerized. I really thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen.” She graduated from Rockford High School in 1999 and enrolled at Valparaiso University in Indiana. Zee obtained a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology while also majoring in mathematics and Spanish.
Zee Had a Dream of Being on The Today Show by Age 30
Zee quickly found an internship under meteorologist James Spann with a variety of local news stations across Michigan, Indiana, Alabama, and Illinois. During this time, some of the stations she worked for were owned by ABC and NBC. In 2010, Zee was asked to be a guest meteorologist on The Today Show, which filled a goal she’d set for herself a decade earlier.
“My first e-mail account ever, about 10 years ago, had a password that was truly a goal: TodayShow10,” Zee said at the time of her debut. “Meaning I wanted to be on The Today Show by 2010. So, while this is cheesy, dreams do come true.”
The Emmy Award-Winner Is Good Morning America’s Chief Meteorologist — And a Real Badass!
The next year, Zee became a regular on ABC. She’s the chief meteorologist for Good Morning America and has appeared on shows like Nightline and ABC World News Tonight.
For Ginger Zee, being a TV personality isn’t just about glamour. She’s smart, she’s very well educated on the topic of climate, and she’s not afraid to go outside. Over the years, she’s made quite the name for herself as a relatable meteorologist.
Zee has skydived, mountaineered, paraglided, surfed, and even swam with sharks, all to get the best stories for Good Morning America. In 2013, she was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Live Coverage of a Current News Story for her work on Superstorm Sandy. Zee and her news team also won an Emmy for their reporting on the category 5 Hurricane Michael.
In 2015, Ginger Zee participated in an episode of Celebrity Jeopardy against Josh Gad and Bellamy Young. She also participated in Season 22 of Dancing With the Stars, partnering with former DWTS champion Val Chmerkovskiy. The pair placed third, with an impressive score of 27/30 on their Foxtrot / Argentine Tango.
Ginger Zee Is Married to NBC Reporter Ben Aaron Colonomos
In 2014, Ginger Zee married NBC news correspondent Ben Aaron Colonomos. The “charming, intimate” ceremony took place in Zee’s home state of Michigan. The afterparty took place on the beach in Little Traverse Bay and attendees described the day as “absolutely the best,” full of “valuable exchanges” and “tears of joy.” Zee looked stunning in her backless wedding dress as she and her new hubby danced the night away.
“Ben is my partner for life,” Zee told People. “I knew it as soon as I met him. I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.”
Zee and Colonomos Have Two Sons
Ginger Zee and Ben Aaron welcomed their first child, Adrian Benjamin, in December 2015. Their second son, Miles Macklin, was born February 9, 2018. Zee tweeted an adorable photo of Adrian at the hospital after Miles was born. He was wearing scrubs that said, “Big Brother.”
“Scrubbed in, delivered a healthy baby boy and got a cookie to celebrate. It’s been a good day,” she captioned the picture.
These days, Ginger Zee is still the leading weather lady at ABC. Even when she’s on vacation, she’s sharing what she’s up to with her fans—whether it’s adventuring or facing storms with her family. Last week, GMA announced that she would be gone for a bit while on a trip with her hubby and kids to California. As luck had it, she went to the West Coast just in time for yet another bomb cyclone.
“Strongest March storm ever recorded in SF Bay area (based on pressure) and guess where we are headed to visit family?! I’ll be back on tv next Monday,” Zee told her fans on Instagram.
They didn’t seem to mind the weather, though. In a follow-up post, Zee shared a carousel of photos of her happy family. Accompanying her children and husband were their grandparents, smiling and having a blast.
“Family time is the best time, always,” wrote Zee. “The boys got a second shot at the Bay Area and loved being with grandpas and grandmas galore. mommy is staying west and I’ll see you on @goodmorningamerica Monday.”
