Don will be the 2025 Festa Italiana NC special guest emcee. He will be at Festa from noon to 3 p.m. September 20 and will emcee the Opening Ceremonies at 1:30 p.m. on the Carolina Wealth Partners Music Stage on Hunter Street in Apex.

Don “Big Weather” Schwenneker is the chief meteorologist for ABC11 Eyewitness News. He holds the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist seal from the American Meteorological Society as well as a Seal of Approval from the National Weather Association. Don joined Eyewitness News from Chicago, where he served as a meteorologist for WBBM-TV. Prior to that, he worked for WTAE in Pittsburgh and WTAJ-TV in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He began his weather career more than 20 years ago as a lead forecaster for KBIM-TV in Roswell, New Mexico. 

As for his moniker “Big Weather,” Don was given that nickname by a colleague for two reasons. First, he’s six-foot-five and one of the taller meteorologists on TV. Second, during big weather events from tornadoes to flood warnings, Don was always on TV. So whenever there was big weather in the forecast, “Big Weather” was there. And the name has stuck ever since!

Don’s family comes first in his life. He’s married and has three children. He was also a volunteer firefighter for seven years in Pennsylvania. He is a certified rescue technician and first responder. In addition to firefighting, Don’s public service includes police, fire, and EMS dispatching and national certification as a 911 call-taker/dispatcher.

Don is also ABC11’s resident food expert. He showcases his talent for flavor every Friday in his Big Recipe segment.