Danielle Grant is the newest member of the Denver7 weather team, bringing more than a decade of Colorado forecasting experience to the station.
We sat down with Danielle to get to know the woman behind the forecast, from her Colorado roots, to her favorite part of forecasting our fickle weather, to her idea of a perfect Colorado day.
What drew you in to meteorology?
DANIELLE GRANT: So I'm from San Diego, California – not known for their wild weather, really. But my grandparents lived in Pagosa Springs, and so I would travel out there to go visit them. And I got to experience all four seasons here in Colorado – the thunderstorms, the winter snow. That's what kind of fired me up [when] I got to experience it as a young kid. I also got to experience the beauty of Colorado. I mean, this is God's country here, as my grandpa would always say, and so I'm excited that I'm living here now. And I get to forecast all four seasons.
What is the best thing about forecasting in Colorado?
DG: It’s always different. And not only the day, but even the time of the day. This morning, I woke up to foggy skies out at my house and a couple hours later, the sun shines here. And this afternoon, we're expecting severe storms. So just the variability of it all, the fact that you can truly see so many different types of weather in 24 hours, and so many temperature extremes in 24 hours, makes my job really fun, but also really challenging.
What might our viewers find different about a Danielle Grant forecast?
DG: I would say I'm just the girl next door. I'm grabbing a cup of coffee with you and we're talking about life. We're talking about the weather. I'm down to earth and I think that that comes across on camera, and I hope people feel like they're my best friend. Because certainly I am theirs.
Off camera, what is the best part about the job?
DG: There are so many things to love about this job. Obviously, I love the weather. But beyond that, I love connecting with the viewers. That brings me so much joy throughout my day. I know that they're at home watching. And I don't always get to personally chat with them. But the relationships that I have been able to form and connections just through social media, and having viewers respond [with things like] ‘Oh, we liked when you said that,’ or, ‘We loved hearing your dog Walter barking in the background when you were at home.’ All those things just make me so grateful to do what I do every day and to be able to reach not just one person in my job, but so many people, I mean, a city, a state, and if I can bring a little bit of joy to one person, then my job's done for the day.
You joined Denver7 in the spring, with summer right around the corner. Summer is also your daughter’s name – is that a coincidence?
DG: Okay, a little bit. I love the summer season. It's absolutely my favorite. I mean, 90 degree days, sunshine, you're at the pool. you're hiking up in the mountains. You're at the lake. That is just my dream. Summer exudes happiness and fun. Remember when you were a kid and you got out of school for summer and it's like, ‘Yes.’ So I just felt like my daughter needed to have that. And she does. She is so much fun. But my husband and I also named her after a TV show that we watched when we were dating, ‘The OC.’ The girl's name was Summer. And she was cute. And I love the show. So it's kind of a twofer.
Your four-legged “child” is also a bit of a celebrity in his own right. Tell us about your dog, Walter.
DG: Oh, Walter. Walter is getting up there. Walter is going to turn 10 this summer. But he is a basset hound. He is approximately 70 pounds. He's huge. But he took everyone by storm. Throughout the pandemic, when we were broadcasting from home, he would be barking at the neighbors, howling late at night. So I don't know. He just brought a little bit of joy to people during that weird, strange time in all of our lives. But he's just funny. He has his own personality, that's for sure. We named him Walter after Walter Mitty [in] “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” if you saw that movie. He looks like an old man. And he is getting older, which is so sad. But we all love our pets here in Colorado.
Describe the perfect Colorado day.
DG: Oh, that's a great question. So, if I could do anything, I think I'd wake up – not too early though – and head to the mountains. I would go snowboarding. Come back down here to the city. Blue skies, sunshine, probably like 81, 82 degrees. I'd head to Chatfield [Reservoir], maybe Cherry Creek Reservoir, get in a boat. (I don't have a boat, but there would be one.) And we would go wakeboarding. I just love being outdoors and I love being on a board. So whether it's snowboarding, wakeboarding, I'm having a good time. And that would be the ultimate dream because you can do both and one single day here.
There is a particular cause near and dear to your heart. Tell us about that.
DG: There are several nonprofits that I love, but one in particular is the Anchor Center for Blind Children here in the Denver metro area. They do amazing work day in day out, the teachers and the staff are incredible. I mean, and the fact that so many kids come from not just here in Denver, but from different states, their families move from different states to be able to go to that school to have the learning, the life change that that school provides, just gets me so fired up and passionate about what they do. And if I can help them the littlest bit, I'm here for it.
The Nuggets were off to a great start to their title defense. Do you have a favorite player on the team?
DG: I feel like I have to say the Joker. I mean, the MVP. He's amazing. Of course, I think he's awesome because of his skills, but I also love his life. I mean his life in Serbia, how he has this, like, entourage of horses is amazing to me. He rides them. The fact that he and his wife were highschool sweethearts is adorable. And then he has a daughter that's very similar to Summer's age. And I feel like we could totally do playdates together, like no problem. So Joker, we'll get together after the playoffs – after the Finals.
Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck, or 100 duck-sized horses – and why?
DG: The visual in my head is fantastic, right? Gosh, I feel like 100 [duck-sized horses] would be way too many to take on. But I feel like there could be a little David and Goliath situation if we just have one horse-sized duck to deal with. And if I can have the rock and the bow, just maybe I would stand a chance, but probably not.