News 9's Jed Castles: Field Meteorologist

Long-time News 9 meteorologist Jed Castles has officially transitioned into his new role as a News 9 Field Meteorologist, beginning his duties in Spring 2025.

After nearly 30 years with the station, Castles is now providing on-the-ground coverage of severe weather, joining the team of experienced Stormtrackers.

Since joining News 9 in 1996, Castles has become a trusted voice for Oklahomans, delivering reliable forecasts and earning the trust of viewers across the state. Most recently, he expanded his responsibilities to include traffic reporting, connecting how weather impacts road conditions.

In his new role, Castles will offer viewers live, on-the-ground perspectives of severe weather events, using his wealth of experience and expertise to keep Oklahoma communities safe and informed. He will also continue to anchor News 9’s weekend morning weather broadcasts.

“I’m so excited to be part of the largest team of trackers in the country,” Castles said. “There’s so much respect for everyone on the team, and I’m looking forward to being in the field, offering that live perspective.”

In addition to his field duties, Castles will anchor News 9’s weekend morning weather forecasts, ensuring viewers are well-informed during severe weather events.

Tracking Dangerous Weather: Castles in the Field

Castles made his debut as a field meteorologist in March, providing live coverage of the dangerous wildfires that spread across Oklahoma. High winds and dry conditions fueled the flames, destroying homes and forcing evacuations.

Castles tracked the wildfires throughout the day, giving vital updates and safety information to viewers.

“There are scanners going off. Chase has multiple scanners going. We have the on-air signal blasting. We’ve got to make sure we’re watching our different computers, our phones, and keep up on everything,” Castles said.

Despite the destruction, many homes in eastern Oklahoma County were spared, thanks to the efforts of local residents who helped protect their neighbors. “We’re trying to uphold the Oklahoma Standard right now and do the neighborly thing, which is just helping our neighbor out,” one resident said.

While Castles provided live updates from the field, the rest of the News 9 weather team continued to manage coverage from the redesigned Bob Mills Weather Center.

Navigating the Field Reporting Challenges

Field reporting presents its own set of challenges, as Castles learned firsthand during his first experience in the field. “Storm chasing from the wall or storm chasing from the field—to have that opportunity to bring a lot of knowledge of what I’m saying to the field right in my mind can say I know what this looks like on radar, even as I see it from. Destruct the three-dimensional view of being out in the field,” Castles explained.

As a field meteorologist, safety is a priority, and Castles emphasized the importance of being prepared. “One of the things that when I’ve talked to storm trackers, they all emphasize: make sure you have a way out, and as a matter of fact, have two ways out at all times,” Castles said. “How to get out of a situation. And so that’s very mindful information that definitely we’ve had with us.”

“Chase, my partner, he is a storm. He’s been chasing for a long time, so having that confidence, knowing the partner that I’m with is always looking around for those things,” Castles added.

Castles is ready to continue his work in the field and provide Oklahomans with the best possible coverage during severe weather.

With the spring storm season underway, Castles and the News 9 team are committed to keeping Oklahomans informed and safe during severe weather events, using the latest technology and their expertise to track storms and protect communities.

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