Alex Harrington, Chief Meteorologist for WISC-TV and FOX in Madison, will be coming to Dodgeville to present a vivid description with a weatherman’s insight of the devastating 1984 Barneveld tornado. He will be the guest speaker at the Annual Spring Meeting of the Iowa County Historical Society to be held on Saturday April 11 at 1:00 p.m. at the Community Room of the Health and Human Services Center, 303 W Chapel Street in Dodgeville.
Harrington’s passion for weather began at age four on his family farm in Arena, WI, where early exposure to the power of nature shaped a lifelong commitment to keeping communities informed and safe. He grew up just 10 miles north of Barneveld and has always been fascinated by this tornado, one of the strongest in Wisconsin, that almost completely destroyed the entire village of Barneveld, along with the loss of lives. He did considerable research on the tornado while in graduate school at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
He was the first meteorologist to piece together what happened in the Midwest, what happened in Wisconsin, and what happened locally near Barneveld that led to such a historic tornado, and is referenced as an expert on the unique storm.
Harrington leads the weather team at Channel 3, and also teaches business courses at Edgewood University, bringing real-world management insight into the classroom. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences from UW-Madison, along with an MBA from Edgewood College.
The public is invited to attend. Following the presentation, Harrington will be open to answering any questions. Refreshments and snacks will be served.