Dr. Gray in Grand Bahama Island in 2008 for the 12th annual Bahamas Weather Conference. (Photo: TheBahamasWeekly.com)

Hurricane expert, Dr. William M. Gray passed away today at age 86. Gray's death was announced by his former student and close friend Philip Klotzbach on April 16, 2016. 

"It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Dr. William M. Gray. William Mason Gray (Bill) passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on April 16th at the age of 86," said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in a statement today. 

"He had remained active in his hurricane and climate change research up until the time of his death.

"Bill was a faculty member at Colorado State University from 1961 through his formal retirement in 2005. But after retirement, he continued his hurricane and climate research as a Professor Emeritus until his recent passing. Dr. Gray pioneered seasonal hurricane forecasts for which he became well known, with extensive media coverage in the 1980s and 90s. He graduated 70 masters and Ph.D. students. Many of his ex-graduate students have become very prominent leaders in the field of tropical meteorology today, including several at NHC.

"We give our deepest condolences to his family. Dr. Gray will be missed."

Dr. Gray used to travel to The Bahamas for the annual Bahamas Hurricane Conference. The Bahamas Weekly conducted two interviews with him and present one here from 2008, when Grand Bahama Island was the conference location for the 12th annual event. The video was produced by Mackey Media Ltd, and the interview conducted by Robbin Whachell of theBahamasweekly.com.  To view our other interview in 2009  in New Providence, click HERE.

The Gray/Klotzbach website.

The Islands Of The Bahamas made history in 1997 by becoming the first Caribbean country to address the topic of hurricanes directly by creating the Bahamas Weather Conference. Since its inception, the conference has hosted hundreds of meteorologists from North America as well as Canada and Europe. The success of the Bahamas Weather Conference has been its ability to bring together media with the top hurricane experts in the U.S. including Dr. Bob Sheets, former director of the National Hurricane Center, Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center, Dr. William Gray of Colorado State University, and many others from the National Weather Service and emergency management.