Hannah Fresquez grew up under the endless skies of Las Cruces, New Mexico—a sun-drenched city where the winters are mild, the summers are scorching, and the mountains are just a stone’s throw away. She loved the beauty and quiet rhythm of her hometown, situated between the Organ Mountains and the Rio Grande. But even as a child, she was drawn to places beyond the City of the Crosses. Places where the skies looked different, the weather was wilder, and the challenges facing communities felt more urgent.
Hannah chose New Mexico State University—her hometown’s land-grant institution—to pursue her dual passions: journalism and geography. She had offers from other universities, but NMSU stood out for its strong reputation in journalism and media studies, along with the advantage of having a fully operational, student-run news studio. There, she knew she could gain both knowledge and hands-on experience.
At first, Hannah expected college life to mirror her high school experience, where she nurtured her growing passion for journalism. But that assumption quickly faded during her first week of classes, when she realized she didn’t know a single person. “I thought the transition would be easy,” she recalls. “But I soon learned that NMSU was quite a bit bigger than I expected!”
Despite being surrounded by unfamiliar faces, Hannah soon discovered that NMSU was exactly the right size for her and the perfect place to make an impact. What began as a challenge to find her niche soon became a turning point.
She applied for scholarships and received support that helped fuel her academic journey. As she gained her footing, she built strong connections with classmates, dove into her studies, and found the perfect intersection of her interests: weather forecasting.
Hannah stepped in front of the camera during her sophomore year as a forecaster for News 22, NMSU’s student-run newscast, and her dreams began to take shape. You can’t turn on a TV station in New Mexico or El Paso without seeing a graduate from NMSU’s Department of Journalism and Media Studies, many of whom got their start at News 22 or Noticias 22. There, she learned how to merge storytelling and science in a way that felt like second nature.
Shortly after graduation, Hannah landed her first job as a weather forecaster at KFOX14 in El Paso. “I was fortunate to meet so many NMSU alumni at the station,” she says. One of them—fellow Aggie Salina Madrid ’18, now anchor of KFOX14 Morning News—called Hannah during her afternoon shift at a local coffee shop and invited her in for an interview the very next morning. Hannah was hired a month later and made her first live broadcast just weeks after that. She still encourages Aggies to stay connected with fellow alumni, noting that those relationships can open doors long after graduation.
“I first met Hannah through our shared sisterhood in Zeta Tau Alpha, and as a fellow NMSU alum and former chapter president, I immediately felt a connection with her,” says Salina. “When we had an opening at KFOX14, she came to mind right away—and ended up being the perfect fit.”
Salina and Hannah have now worked together on the Morning News program for two years. “It’s been a joy watching her confidence grow—she’s truly a force to be reckoned with, and it’s an honor to be part of the start of her journey, and even more special to call her a friend.”
Hannah has now taken the reins of the station’s morning weather segments, keeping viewers informed with timely and accurate forecasts. “Meteorology plays such an important role in everyday life,” she says. “It influences public safety, transportation, agriculture—everything we do here. And it's essential in addressing climate change and protecting the environment.”
Beyond forecasting, Hannah occasionally trades in her meteorologist hat for hands-on reporting in the “Do Your Job” segment of the KFOX morning show. She’s tried her hand at waitressing at La Posta de Mesilla, harvesting cannabis at the Baked Chicken Farm, playing soccer with the El Paso Locomotive Football Club, and even spinning tracks as a radio DJ. For her work, she’s been awarded the City of El Paso’s Best Meteorologist/Forecaster two years in a row.
But her proudest moment came when she reported on the Ruidoso wildfires last summer. “Words can’t describe the scene in Ruidoso as those two massive wildfires blazed through the region,” she recalls. She covered both the Salt Fire and the South Fork Fire for more than a week. “The smoke, the visibility, the destruction—it was mind-boggling. But I was so grateful to be part of the coverage, which I hope was helpful to the people in our state,” she adds.
For Hannah, forecasting is about more than predicting sunshine or storms—it’s about helping people stay safe and protect what matters most. “It’s not just warning people about active storms,” she says. “It’s about giving them the tools to live well and plan wisely, even in places they love that might also put them at risk.”
While she enjoys forecasting for the El Paso and Borderland region, she’s also drawn to the challenge of working in areas like the Florida coastline or southern Texas, where severe storms, wildfires, droughts, and floods are more frequent. Her ultimate goal? To empower communities to make informed decisions and thrive, even in the face of unpredictable weather.
“If I can make someone’s day a little easier—help them prepare for what’s ahead, protect their families, and feel more in control—I know I’m doing my job. That’s what forecasting is all about: serving people and helping them live safer, more informed lives.”
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CUTLINE: Hannah Fresquez, weather forecaster with KFOX14 and NMSU journalism alumni. (Courtesy photo)
