WCVB announced that weeknight meteorologist Mike Wankum will retire at the end of June, with his last day forecasting on StormTeam 5 set for June 30. Cindy Fitzgibbon will take over the station’s weeknight forecasts, and Kelly Ann Cicalese will transition from
Mike Wankum has been the steady presence on WCVB’s weeknights for more than 20 years—pointing Boston viewers toward what’s coming next, from ordinary days to storms that demand attention. Now the station says that chapter is ending.
WCVB announced Wednesday that Wankum, its weeknight meteorologist, will retire at the end of June. His last day forecasting for StormTeam 5 will be June 30.
The transition begins with the man who will step into his role. Chief Meteorologist Cindy Fitzgibbon. who currently anchors morning and noon weather on weekdays. will take over Wankum’s weeknight forecasts. according to WCVB President and General Manager Andrew Vrees and WCVB News Director Margaret Cronan.
Kelly Ann Cicalese, who covers weekend morning forecasts, will move to weekdays and handle Fitzgibbon’s current duties. WCVB has not yet announced who will succeed Cicalese as weekend morning meteorologist.
In the announcement, Vrees praised Wankum’s long run leading the station’s weeknight weathercasts, saying the coverage helps inform and protect the community. Vrees said WCVB is “equally fortunate” to have Fitzgibbon and Cicalese stepping into their new roles.
Cronan. who also spoke in the press release. called Wankum “a cherished member of StormTeam 5” and said the station looks forward to celebrating him in the days ahead. She also pointed to Fitzgibbon and Cicalese’s work during severe weather. describing it as timely and trusted information that audiences rely on—both on air and online.
Wankum is described by the network as the longest-serving broadcast meteorologist in Boston. WCVB says he has been forecasting in Boston for nearly 35 years and has been recognized with 17 regional Boston/New England Emmy Awards for weather coverage and technology reporting. He is also a member of the American Meteorological Society with a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist designation.
Fitzgibbon has more than 30 years of meteorology experience and has forecasted with StormTeam 5 for nearly a decade, according to WCVB. Cicalese joined the network around the same time in October 2016.
Mike Wankum WCVB StormTeam 5 Cindy Fitzgibbon Kelly Ann Cicalese meteorologist retirement Boston weather
June 30?? Dang I didn’t even realize he was retiring.
So who’s gonna tell us about storms now? Like I watch WCVB at night just for that guy, not for the morning people. Hopefully they don’t mess up the whole vibe.
Wait, is Cindy Fitzgibbon replacing him on weeknights AND mornings? I thought she already does mornings, so are they doubling her schedule or am I mixing up channels. Also Kelly Ann Cicalese to weekdays?? Feels like a lot of reshuffling.
Man 20+ years is crazy. Emmy awards and all that but somehow it’s still “a chapter ending” like it’s a TV show. I’m not saying this is connected, but every time stations change meteorologists right before summer the forecast goes weird, so… just saying. I’ll miss Mike though, he was like the default Boston weather guy.