What makes her a Climate expert other than the fact that she is a meteorologist? From what I've heard, not a single serious meteorologist believes in human generated global warming.
Combining her interests, Heidi has studied historic drought and climate variability in the Middle East as well as the application of forecasts to water resource management in the La Plata Basin of South America. Her doctoral research at Columbia focused in part on the dynamics of the North Atlantic Oscillation as well as its impact on freshwater supplies in the Middle East.
Here's a few other pics of Heidi when she doesn't have the "in studio" glamour shot look going:
Doing the earthy hippy-scientist look (she's the one on the right):
Here she does the scientific woman look:
A younger Heidi getting ready to take on the evil corporate powers of the world:
Anyone that believes in global warming is an expert. A degree in History is sufficient for expert status if you are pro-warming.