San Diego's Hot Weather Women
Every morning, San Diegans wake up dependent on the weather report, looking for information about the marine layer, coastal eddies, inland heat, and even that nasty four letter word: rain. But to look at it another way, San Diegans wake up dependant on a group of attractive, intelligent, informative, and spry weather forecasters - San Diego's own weatherwomen.

Christina Russo (FOX), Natasha Stenbock (KFMB), Lorrie Jordan (NBC), and Renee Kohn (KUSI) took time out of their busy schedules to explain just how difficult it really is to predict San Diego's daily temperatures, and let us in on what makes them tick when they're not in front of the green screen.

Ryan Thomas (RT): Ok, 72 degrees, warm, sunny...c'mon, just how hard is it to be a San Diego weatherwoman?

(Laughs all around)

Renee Kohn (RK): I get that all the time. "You do the weather in San Diego? That's the easiest job in the world." The truth is, there may be slight variances compared to other parts of the country, but you have to know what you're doing and what you're talking about.

Christina Russo (CR): That's a bunch of BS. There's weather here. When it rains once, people slide around and crash their cars. There's plenty here to do.

Natasha Stenbock (NS): People say, "A monkey could do your job." But when our weather does get bad, people freak out. So getting the time right of the arrival of rain and how much we're going to get is critical.

Lorrie Jordan (LJ): Weather here is the hardest to predict. Harder than hurricanes.

RT: Really?

LJ: Hurricanes are predictable, they're several days out and we watch them. Storms here start in the north and we don't know if they're coming.

RT: But what happens if you're wrong? Do people stop you on the street and give you flak?

LJ: I get teased a little about being wrong. But people are understanding.

RK: The other day I was at a doctor appointment, and I was in the waiting room, and people were saying, "I brought my umbrella today but it's not raining. Those stupid weather people never get it right." I was laughing to myself because they had no idea who I was. So I hear it.

NS: People think it's supposed to be exact. They're so used to precision in other aspects of life, when they don't get it in weather they're disappointed.

RT: What's it like being approached by the public?

CR: People will recognize me and not say hi, and that makes me so sad. I love, love, love meeting new people. It makes my day. I'm not on TV so I can not meet people.

RK: A lot of people call the station and ask anything from what's the weather going to be like in New Zealand on Friday to what type of lipstick are you wearing? I'll even have people call and say I hate your hair, or I love your hair, or I can see your bra through your shirt.

RT: You're kidding?

RK: No.

RT: Did you always see yourself on TV?

RK: Yeah. When I was a kid I thought "I'm gonna be Alyssa Milano." But that's tough. You work full time in a restaurant and when it doesn't happen month after month, that's a hard life.

LJ: After college I worked at Access Hollywood. When I was there I caught the acting bug. I did a couple plays. I'd say acting would be my second love outside the news.

RT: Speaking of actors, Chrissy, what's up with that David Duchovny promo they ran on Fox for months on end?

CR: (laughing) He came into the studio and I was so intimidated, I didn't even talk to him. He walked into the green screen when I was doing the weather and he made the joke about my skirt, and I was like a freaking schoolgirl. I've actually become friendly with him since. He's hilarious. I just love smart men.

RT: I was an X Files geek, I'd be afraid, too. Do funny things like that happen a lot?

LJ: Jack Hannah came on once and had all these animals and an owl attacked me. Now I have a fear of birds. That owl locked in on me.

RK: I went live from a roller coaster ride in Texas. I never realized how hard it is to be on a ride and still talk. We're rolling, and were doing loop-di-loops and I am screaming, "Ahhh!" and I'm shouting "Oh My God, Oh My God!" I get called into my boss's office after and he goes, "This is the bible belt. You can't scream God on air."

NS: You get tongue tied a lot. If I haven't had a good night's sleep I'll just forget what I'm saying in mid sentence. But you just keep on going.

CR: A woman from Sea World came in...She opens this cage with this bird. I'm doing the weather, and the bird flies over and lands on my head, and I'm screaming bloody murder with this bird on my head.

[Editor's note: never work with birds].

RT: When you're not at work, what do you like to do?

NS: I enjoy scuba diving. I've done three shark dives. The experience is very cool. Your with blue sharks, you're out of the cage. My love for the ocean is pretty big.

RK: I'm still an actor on the side, an improv comedienne. It's been a blessing in my life. I work with a team so you have to learn how to work well with other people, which is the same in broadcasting. (www.nationalcomedy.com)

LJ; San Diego's so beautiful I feel like I'm wasting my time if I'm not out. One of my girlfriends is dragging me to golf lessons, so I think golf will be what I'm going to take up next.

CR: I just started tow-in surfing. I'm learning how to use the rescue sled. I love the water, it's my favorite thing.

RT: Your schedules must be hectic.

CR: I get up at 3 in the morning. Last night I had two events to go to so I was up till 1am. I got two hours of sleep, worked this morning, I'm here this afternoon, and I have a Padres pregame show that'll finish around 7.

RT: Is it still hard for women in the business?

NS: People see you're a girl and they think, oh, they just hired you because you're [attractive]. I'm sure even girls go, "Oh, she's cute, I wonder how she got her job." But, you know, my station requires me to get the AMS seal [American Meteorological Society]. In another two years I will have completed all the courses necessary. I'm looking forward to getting it.

LJ: Growing up I never saw a weather women and I never saw an African American weatherwomen. People will approach me on the street and say, "We never see black weathergirls. That's really cool." It's nice to be able to inspire a new generation who never thought it was possible. It's been a great opportunity to open doors.

RT: What's the greatest thing about being a San Diego Weatherwoman?

RK: The best thing about being here is you get to live here. It's my favorite city in the world.

LJ: I grew up in southern California and love everything about being here. It's home.

CR: The constant opportunity to meet wonderful people.

NS: The best thing about being a San Diego Weatherwoman? Chrissy Russo.

- Ryan Thomas, photography by Vincent Knakal