WPXI's chief meteorologist Stephen Cropper has been helping Pittsburghers better understand the nuances of our fickle weather since he arrived from a television station in Lynchburg, Va., in 1995.

Cropper, who was raised in Atlanta, worked at WTAE from 1995 until joining WPXI in 2011.

“I walked in, met Joe DeNardo (at WTAE), and he ended up being a great friend and mentor,” Cropper says.

Cropper was on the air alerting viewers nonstop for almost 24 hours during the heavy Pittsburgh snowfall of February 2010, and provided life-saving information during the tornado outbreaks of June 1998 and April 2002. He recalls the record-breaking rains from Hurricanes Frances and Ivan in September 2004 as a vivid reminder that weather is “the great equalizer ... it affects us all.”

Cropper, wife Mindy and their three children, Chloe, 13, Christian, 11, and Carter, 9, spend as much time together as possible outdoors, enjoying all four seasons. Cropper is on the advisory board of the Salvation Army and works with other charitable organizations in the region.

Besides being a meteorologist, Cropper is a graduate of Duquesne University School of Law and licensed to practice law in the state.

The star who would play me in the movie version of my life:

Leonardo DiCaprio. Despite his success, he doesn't seem to take himself too seriously. Just grateful to be working. So am I!

Childhood hero:

The Professor on “Gilligan's Island.” He was the original “Survivorman.”

Pick one:

A. Go-Gos

B. Goo-Goo Dolls

C. Lady Gaga

D. Yo Gabba Gabba

Goo Goo Dolls

The piece of memorabilia from my childhood I wish I still had.

8-Track tapes. My kids just don't get it! Also, I was in Atlanta when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's home-run record April 8, 1974. We got a certificate showing Aaron's 715th home run. I wish I still had it.

The superpower I wish I had in real life:

Flying. Get “ahead” of the weather so I could see what's coming.

I can't live without my: iPod, cell phone, DVR or laptop?

Laptop

My favorite reality show:

“American Ninja Warrior”

App I wish I could invent:

“Kid Quiet”

Favorite brunch food:

French toast

Best mistake I've ever made:

Not moving to West Coast in 1993. Stayed in Virginia and met my beautiful wife.

Favorite guilty pleasure:

Goldfish Grahams S'mores

Something I would do over if I could and why:

Focus more in school. Education is the path to success in whatever you do.

My most embarrassing junk food:

Milk Duds

Pick one:

A. Pirates

B. Penguins

C. Steelers

D. Other

E. I hate sports

Pirates. Clint Hurdle is working to win games and helping to build leaders for the future. In addition to baseball, he works hard to mentor and lead.

Favorite lunchtime spot:

Sewickley Cafe

Top thing on my “Bucket List” to do before I'm gone:

Surfing: Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii; Kuta, Bali, Indonesia: Surfrider Beach, Malibu; Cloudbreak Fiji; Gold Coast, Australia

In five years, I'd like to:

Be debt free

Star I'd like to dance with on “Dancing With the Stars”:

Candace Cameron Bure

My favorite thing about Pittsburgh is:

Four seasons (though winter could be a little shorter!)

Three people I'd love to have dinner with:

Tony Dungy; Sir Ernest Shackleton; Sir Edmund Hillary

My quirkiest inherited trait:

Saving things I don't really need.

The oldest thing in my refrigerator:

Mustard (does it ever go bad?!!)

When I was 10, I wanted to be:

A farmer. My uncle had a huge farm in Lexington, Ky. I worked there during the summer.

The first band I saw in concert:

Bee Gees. Atlanta, 1979

The best concert I've ever seen:

Sting

My favorite sandwich, plus fixings:

Monte Cristo

One word my mother would use to describe me:

Impulsive

Exercise I hate most:

Running

I'm deathly afraid of:

Failure

If I was auditioning for “American Idol,” my song would be:

John Mayer's “Say”

TV marathon I could watch all day:

“Man vs. Wild”

Favorite Pittsburgh-area landmark:

Seven Springs

Saturday mornings, you'll find me:

Cooking waffles, pancakes, French toast, eggs, bacon — family breakfast!

My favorite Pittsburgh athlete:

Jason Grilli

Best new gadget I've tried recently:

RadarScope radar app

The worst advice I ever received:

“Choose another career.” Professors in college said I'd never make it in television. Moral of the story: Find your passion and follow it.

In high school, I was:

Voted “Wittiest”

The most famous person I ever became friends with:

Joe DeNardo

The movie that always makes me cry:

“Gladiator.” I get a little misty when Maximus dies. “Braveheart” is also a great movie with William Wallace crying “Freedom” in the end.

My most treasured fashion accessory is:

Nose-hair trimmer

What you'll always find in my glove compartment:

Napkins

If I wasn't a meteorologist, I'd be:

Landscaper

The last book I read:

“Way Of The Wild Heart” by John Eldredge

My favorite Pittsburgh pizza:

DiPietro's

Movie I could watch every time it appears on cable:

“Anchorman”

My favorite website:

National Geographic; Outside Magazine

My most memorable fashion mistake:

Pants unzipped on TV

If I could live my life as someone else, it would be:

Matthew McConaughey

My childhood nickname was:

Crop

My first job:

Chick-Fil-A

My favorite cable channel:

Discovery

The song that always gets me out on the dance floor:

“September,” Earth Wind And Fire

Life would be better without:

Mosquitoes

If I could tour with any two bands, they would be:

Sting, Steven Curtis Chapman

I never travel without my:

Earplugs

People would be surprised to know that:

I am shy, introverted

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