Local weathercaster John Bolaris returns to Philadelphia

This may have been long time in its development, but one of the most well-known on-camera meteorologists along the Interstate 95 corridor has left his roots for a second time to return to a place he enjoyed living and working for over a decade.

John Bolaris made his on-air debut at WTXF-TV in Philadelphia on Tuesday after spending the last five years working just 90 miles to the northeast up in New York City. Usually those who watch local television newscasts or the weather junkies might keep up with these happenings of OCMs' comings and goings, right? Well, I may qualify as one of them.

Rumors were swirling during the entire autumn season about Bolaris' future. As early as September 12th, Michael Klein of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported where Bolaris might be headed. Klein stated in his article that Bolaris dropped a hint during a radio appearance on the Preston & Steve show on WMMR-FM that day in which he said, "Right now, I can't say I can tell you this: I should be hanging with you guys soon."

But on November 1st, it became official. Klein reported that Bolaris was hired to become their chief meteorologist at Philadelphia's FOX Television station.

WTXF-TV would not post the announcement on their web site until December 19th. Bolaris had even taped a few teaser promos to prepare viewers for his return to the local airwaves as a well-known weathercaster in the City of Brother Love. He evidently expressed his true love for Philadelphia and how he couldn't contain his excitement in moving back and working there again as he did for 12 years at WCAU-TV from 1990 to 2002. Many loyal WCAU-TV viewers expressed their sadness to see Bolaris leave and wished him well on his last day at the station five years ago. Now those that want to see Bolaris regularly again will have to tune to another Philadelphia newscast.

The 50-year-old Bolaris previously worked at WCBS-TV in New York City from December 9, 2002 until last month as his five-year contract was not renewed by the station. WCBS-TV had already started going in another direction with their weather department as they began a partnership with The Weather Channel and hired new OCMs to their staff. Bolaris was the chief meteorologist at WCBS-TV until the station brought in Lonnie Quinn last April to be in that role and Bolaris was relegated to mainly weekend status. Once WCBS-TV had also added former NBC Weather Plus meteorologist Elise Finch and three months earlier done the same in bringing in former KCBS-TV meterologist John Elliott from Los Angeles to do weekday morning and midday duties, the writing seemed to be on the wall for Bolaris that he was no longer going to get his regular airtime at WCBS-TV.

Bolaris' first tour of duty at WCBS-TV was from 1985 to 1990. I certainly remembered him on New York television at the time and after he came back to the Big Apple in 2002. One weather term I always remembered him say was his reference to thunderstorms as "thunderboomers".

For the past four months, Bolaris had looked to leave his hometown for a second time to a place he felt very comfortable going to. His tenure at WCAU-TV (NBC 10) that ended on November 27, 2002 was one that had an impact on his weathercasting career. In an interview that aired on that very day, Bolaris told former colleague and current WCAU-TV news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah that the events of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks was a calling for him to pursue his dream to be a weathercaster in New York City. For the next five years, he was able to live it.

As the events of the past several months unfolded and where he wanted to go next became clear, the transition of moving from New York City just down the New Jersey Turnpike back to Philadelphia was in his mind very easy and a no-brainer of a decision.

WCAU-TV has made out just fine for the last 5 years since Bolaris' departure from the station as their chief meteorologist is currently Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz. Now both him and Bolaris will be in the same television market in a friendly competition for viewers in the Lower Delaware River Valley. Schwartz has been at WCAU-TV since 1995.

Many Philadelphians may remember Bolaris' coverage of the January 7, 1996 blizzard while at WCAU-TV in which an all-time record 30.7 inches of snow fell, but his very inaccurate forecast of a similar storm that was expected to paralyze the city on March 5, 2001 had made headlines. The storm never lived up to that prediction, so much so that he actually received death threats from local viewers. In order to turn what his critics say was a low point in his broadcasting career into a positive, he made reference to that "storm of the century" that was never-to-be in one of his FOX 29 promos previewing his arrival.

Bolaris' first appearance at WTXF-TV (FOX 29) was during their 5:00 PM newscast on January 8th. He provided his first weather forecast from the streets of downtown Philadelphia (known as "Center City" to the locals), then was in studio to do a partial forecast segment and later did a full report. Good timing for his first day at WTXF earlier in this week as Bolaris was able to discuss the record high temperatures being set with readings well into the 60s.

With Bolaris now back in Philadelphia, many of his loyal viewers will get to once again see his weather reports on a full-time basis. With this winter only a few weeks old, he has a chance to forecast big snowstorms again. As he lightheartedly said, he has the more advanced technological tools to nail down those predictions. A possible nor'easter might bringing some rain or snow to Philadelphia late on Sunday and into Monday, so he'll surely be busy keeping an eye to the sky.