After a career in meteorology that spanned for 50 years, Long Island native and director of the National Weather Service, Louis W. Uccellini, will ring in 2022 with retirement.

Uccellini was born and raised in Bethpage, New York with a passion for weather that started when he was a little boy fascinated by snow storms. He has come far in his career from being a Newsday paper carrier.

Uccellini's 43-year public service career included 11 years at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and 32 years with the NWS.  Before serving as the NWS director since 2013, Uccellini was also the director of the agency’s National Center for Environmental Prediction for 14 years.

“For more than half a century, Louis has been a force throughout the field of meteorology. He is someone I consider both a friend and a professional colleague,” said NOAA administrator Dr. Rick Spinrad. “Louis has taken on many roles, including authoring numerous scientific papers and books on the complex nature of historical snowstorms, championing our Weather Ready Nation initiative, and as a respected leader beaming with pride for our scientists. Louis is a legend whose legacy will have a lasting and positive influence for generations to come."