On Tuesday, local meteorology specialist Edgar McGregor was celebrated as a “Distinguished Genius” by the Liberty Science Center for his Altadena Weather and Climate social media service, credited with saving hundreds of lives during the Eaton Fire of January 2025.
At the institution’s annual gala in New Jersey, McGregor was joined by Nobel Laureate Jennifer Doudna, illumination artist Leo Villareal and Afghan tech entrepreneur Roya Mahboob as one of four 2025 honorees.
McGregor is the first meteorologist honored by the New York City-area science center, which has awarded genius accolades to a variety of scientists, artists and performers including theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and magician David Blaine.
According to the Liberty Science Center, the annual Genius Gala honors great thinkers and doers in science and technology at a uniquely festive evening event. Proceeds from the Genius Gala help make world-class science learning accessible to students, teachers, and families, including those in high-needs communities.
As first reported by Local News Pasadena in January, McGregor regularly posts hyperlocal weather forecasts for thousands of followers and neighbors in the San Gabriel Mountains foothill communities. Beginning on December 30, 2024, he repeatedly warned about “extraordinarily high fire weather conditions” across Southern California during the January 7, 2025 Santa Ana windstorm, preparing his community for what ultimately would become one of the largest urban fire conflagrations in US history.
His lifesaving warnings about the Eaton Fire were recognized by the Altadena Town Council, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and with a federal Certificate of Congressional Recognition.
McGregor, a 25-year-old San Jose State University graduate, lives in Pasadena and works for the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation.
In addition to developing Altadena Weather and Climate, McGregor has conducted daily trash pickups at local hiking trails for over 2,000 days, pulling tens of thousands of pounds of litter out of the environment. McGregor also is one of the community members behind the respected MyEatonCanyon.com Web site.
