PEORIA, Ill. – After 50 years in broadcasting and thousands upon thousands of weather forecasts, 25 News First Alert Chief Meteorologist Chuck Collins retires this week.
He recently told WMBD’s “Greg and Dan” his retirement is something that he started planning a few years back.
“I just knew it was my time actually about two or three years ago, because my contract ends next week, and I just said, I’m not signing another contract,” Collins said.
He tells WMBD’s “Greg and Dan”, he became a weatherman after doing news on WMBD Radio from 1986 to 1988.
“In 1988, Rollie Keith basically had a heart attack and was laid up for a while, and the news director Duane Wallace at the time, said I love severe weather coverage on the radio. I have an opening at 10:00 on Sunday nights, why don’t you stand up in front of the green screen, if you want to give it a try,” Collins said.
Collins’ broadcasting career began years earlier in 1976 at an FM radio station in Sullivan, Illinois.
Collins did weather for WMBD-TV for 23 years and then joined WEEK-TV in 2009. He’s been recognized multiple times by the Illinois Broadcasters Association as “Best Weather Person” in downstate Illinois and has the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Service Broadcast Seal of Approval.
According to 25 News, Collins covered the Drought of 1988, the Groundhog Day Blizzard of 2011, the Roanoke Tornado in July of 2014, the Washington Tornado in November 2013, Illinois River Flooding in 2013, -44 Degree Windchill in January 2019, the New Year’s Day Ice Storm in 2021 and two major derechos in 2020 and 2024.
Chuck Collins is an avid James Bond 007 fan, and a member of the Ian Fleming Foundation.
Collins’ last forecast will air during the 6:00 evening news this Wednesday on 25 News. A 30-minute special about his 50 years in TV and radio will air at 6:30.
Comments