Matt Leach

Matt Leach is Chief Meteorologist of Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio's First Alert Weather Team. He has a master's degree from Purdue University and is a member of the National Weather Association.

Matt’s first forecasting opportunity began in mid 2009, where he provided detailed video and written forecasts in his hometown on the Kitsap Peninsula of western Washington State for one of the region’s largest newspaper publications.

In 2013, Matt was hired by Microsoft to write weather explainers for over 60 weather terms that now populated MSN’s “Weather 101” site.

In 2014, Matt became Fort Wayne's newest weekend meteorologist and weekday reporter for 21Alive. He produced creative stories in various counties across the area as part of 21Alive's "Life's Better Here" series and could be found going live at fairs and festivals throughout the region.

In 2016, Matt was promoted to the position of Chief Meteorologist where he currently presents the weather at 5, 5:30, 6, 7 & 11 pm. He can also be found leading team coverage live on television and social media when the weather turns severe.

Matt has won numerous awards, including three Emmys, a Regional Edward R. Murrow for Excellence in Innovation, Outstanding Weather Operation from the Associated Press, Favorite Local Television Personality from the Fort Wayne Newspapers' Reader's Choice Awards, and Best Weathercast from the Indiana Broadcaster's Association.

In 2019, Matt became an Adjunct Professor of Communication at Indiana Tech and in 2022 also started teaching graduate communication courses at Southern New Hampshire University online.

From growing up in the Pacific Northwest to living in Southern Africa, Matt has experienced wild temperature swings. He has seen the thermometer rise well over 110 degrees and fall below minus 40 degrees with wind chills surpassing 50 below.

When Matt isn't busy chasing storms and severe weather, he enjoys strength training, reading historical non-fiction, astrophotography, walking his dog, Gunther, and most importantly doing anything that gives him the opportunity to be with his best friend and spouse since 2015, Logan.