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163:. Skilling observed that WKKD's forecasts were inaccurate because they were for Chicago and not Aurora, so he approached WKKD and offered to forecast the weather for several days, with the condition that if his forecasts were accurate he would be hired to host his own weather program. Skilling's forecasts were accurate, and he was hired to forecast Aurora's weather three times a day. At age 18, he began working at
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Skilling returned to the
Chicago area and joined WGN-TV on August 13, 1978. He was WGN-TV's chief meteorologist and was rumored to be the highest-paid local broadcast meteorologist in the United States. He also had written the daily weather column for the
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His weather broadcasts have always featured the latest technology in computer imagery and animation techniques. He has long been hailed for his in-depth reports and striking accuracy, perhaps best highlighted by his correctly predicting the
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Skilling announced on
October 12, 2023 that he would be retiring from WGN-TV on February 28, 2024. On February 1, 2024, WGN announced that the WGN Weather Center will be renamed the Tom Skilling Weather Center.
297:. 2013 marked the 32nd year of the seminar and the first that featured presentations specifically on climate change. In 2018, he announced he would stop hosting these seminars due to scheduling conflicts.
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in 2011 almost two weeks before it paralyzed the
Chicago area. "Skillful", as his late WGN-TV colleague
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90379). A statement honoring his career was read into the
Congressional record on November 1, 2023.
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On May 2, 2024, Skilling was announced as the Grand
Marshall of the 2024 Woodstock (IL) Pridefest
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University of
Wisconsin–Madison School of Journalism & Mass Communication alumni
221:. That feature, Ask Tom, ceased in August 2022 with a redesign of the weather page.
155:. While in high school Tom began his career in broadcasting at age 14, working for
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202:. At WITI, he delivered his forecasts with the "help" of the station's resident
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to Thomas Jr. and Betty (Clarke) Skilling. His early years were spent in
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The oldest of four children, Tom
Skilling was born at Magee Hospital in
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In
January 1995, Tom received an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from
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118:. From 1978 to his retirement in 2024, he worked as a meteorologist at
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750:"Longtime Chicagoland meteorologist Tom Skilling honored by Congress"
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535:"'Ask Tom' brought weather to life and Weather page is ordinary now"
186:. While attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he worked at
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and severe weather seminars at the Fermi
National Accelerator Lab (
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WGN page "Ask Tom 'Why?'" - how to inquire about weather phenomena
470:"Cartoon characters and puppets are gone from TV weather segments"
569:"Tom Skilling, dean of Chicago TV weathercasters, stepping down"
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669:"Tom Skilling's revised forecast 'not related to Sinclair'"
776:"Tom Skilling named grand marshal of Woodstock PrideFest"
114:(born February 20, 1952) is a former American television
643:"Official web page of the Tom Skilling Tornado Seminar"
450:"Boy, 15, Forecasts Aurora Weather for Radio Station".
791:"For Skilling, There Is No Such Thing as Bad Weather"
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587:"WGN Weather Center renamed to honor Tom Skilling"
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690:"WeatherBrains 188: A Visit With Tom Skilling"
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147:. The family moved to the Chicago suburb of
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233:called him, was consulted for the movie
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879:American television weather presenters
869:Television meteorologists from Chicago
811:from the original on January 10, 2023
730:from the original on October 18, 2019
700:from the original on January 10, 2023
623:from the original on January 10, 2023
567:Channick, Robert (October 12, 2023).
514:from the original on January 10, 2023
483:from the original on January 10, 2023
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548:from the original on August 17, 2022
502:McClelland, Edward (June 3, 2008).
257:(the documentary also includes the
789:McGrath, Dan (November 25, 2011).
14:
279:American Meteorological Society
247:It Sounded Like a Freight Train
456:. January 4, 1968. p. W2.
206:mascot, Albert the Alley Cat.
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467:Van, Jon (October 19, 1995).
261:'s history of tornadoes) and
859:People from Aurora, Illinois
347:Tom is the older brother of
283:National Weather Association
277:Skilling is a member of the
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694:The Alabama Weather Blog
141:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
57:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
353:chief executive officer
351:, the disgraced former
172:University of Wisconsin
153:West Aurora High School
251:When Lightning Strikes
227:Groundhog Day blizzard
170:Skilling attended the
112:Thomas E. Skilling III
720:"MPC/MPO/MPS Archive"
696:. September 1, 2009.
479:. Chicago, Illinois.
380:"(91888) Tomskilling"
328:was published by the
242:He also narrated the
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332:on October 8, 2014 (
320:, discovered by the
311:Romeoville, Illinois
151:, where he attended
724:Minor Planet Center
544:. August 16, 2022.
428:on January 10, 2023
384:Minor Planet Center
330:Minor Planet Center
322:Catalina Sky Survey
285:. He hosted annual
834:WGN Weather Weblog
796:The New York Times
756:. November 3, 2023
593:. February 2, 2024
754:Chicago Sun-Times
504:"The Cult of Tom"
357:Enron Corporation
318:91888 Tomskilling
301:Awards and honors
295:Batavia, Illinois
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84:Notable credit(s)
75:Years active
50:February 20, 1952
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760:November 3,
734:January 23,
674:February 4,
619:. Chicago.
597:February 3,
389:January 23,
231:Bob Collins
204:sock puppet
180:meteorology
167:in Aurora.
848:Categories
704:October 9,
487:August 10,
432:January 3,
363:References
192:WTSO radio
184:journalism
135:Beginnings
65:Occupation
46:1952-02-20
805:0362-4331
316:Asteroid
263:lightning
255:tornadoes
200:Milwaukee
178:to study
105:(brother)
78:1966–2024
809:Archived
728:Archived
698:Archived
621:Archived
617:WGN-TV 9
546:Archived
512:Archived
481:Archived
291:Fermilab
287:tornado
196:WITI-TV
188:WKOW-TV
176:Madison
165:WLXT-TV
161:WKKD-FM
124:Chicago
803:
591:WGN-TV
334:M.P.C.
210:WGN-TV
130:Career
120:WGN-TV
99:Family
89:WGN-TV
59:, U.S.
293:) in
817:2021
801:ISSN
762:2023
736:2020
706:2020
676:2024
655:2008
629:2022
599:2024
554:2022
520:2022
489:2019
434:2013
391:2020
281:and
249:and
190:and
182:and
159:and
157:WKKD
93:WITI
40:Born
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