ORLANDO, Fla. – June Bacon-Bercey was a true trailblazer who shattered glass ceilings in the male-dominated world of meteorology.

As a powerhouse in her field, she became the first African American female broadcast meteorologist, the first woman to hold the title of chief meteorologist in the U.S., and an inspiration to women and minorities everywhere who dream of breaking barriers.

Born in 1928 in Wichita, Kansas, Bacon-Bercey’s journey started in an unlikely place — with a math degree from Friends University of Wichita.

But her ambitions didn’t stop there. She took a leap of faith and moved to Los Angeles, where she pursued her passion for meteorology at UCLA, becoming the first Black woman to earn a degree in the field from the school in 1954.

But Bacon-Bercey didn’t just stop at weather forecasting. In the 1960s, she returned to school at NYU to study journalism, which set the stage for her big break in broadcasting.

In 1972, she made history when she became the first Black female meteorologist on air at WGRZ in Buffalo, New York. Just months later, she was promoted to chief meteorologist, becoming the first woman ever to hold that title.

Her accomplishments didn’t end there. Bacon-Bercey became the first woman and African American to earn the prestigious seal of approval from the American Meteorological Society.

In 1979, she took on an even bigger role with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, leading their weather and television services.

A passionate advocate for diversity in meteorology, she created scholarships to support women pursuing careers in the field and helped fund the meteorology program at Jackson State University to inspire more Black students to enter the profession.

Bacon-Bercey’s legacy lives on. After she passed away at 90 in January 2020, the American Meteorological Society renamed its Broadcast Meteorology Award in her honor in 2021, ensuring her trailblazing spirit will continue to inspire future generations.

Bacon-Bercey didn’t just forecast the weather — she changed the forecast for what women and minorities could achieve in science, broadcasting, and beyond.