Boston and Providence TV Weathermen Were Once Huge Celebrities

WPRI-TV 12 weather guru T.J. Del Santo and Chief Meteorologist Tony Petrarca are part of a dying breed of celebrity weathercasters who graced our television screens long before we had social media, streaming, blogs, podcasts, and all the other ways we stay informed these days.

Del Santo and Petrarca: Decades of Forecasting

Del Santo joined the Channel 12 news team in 1997, while Petrarca joined a full decade earlier, in 1987. Fortunately for our listeners, WBSM and Fun 107 feature their forecasts daily.

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Weather forecasts remain in high demand, as everyone wants to know what to expect from Mother Nature in the hours and days ahead. However, in 2026, there is an app for that.

The Rise of TV Weather Celebrities

Before cable and technology changed viewing habits, local TV news was king, and anchors, sportscasters, and weather forecasters were celebrities.

No longer do we need to gather around the television set at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. for the news, sports, and weather. It's available at our fingertips whenever we want it. In addition, there are many more choices on television, not just the handful of local stations which allowed news teams to reach celebrity status.

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When Chet Curtis and Natalie Jacobson ruled the roost at Boston's Channel 5, Dick Albert and Bob Copeland were the go-to guys for weather. For Channel 4, it was Bruce Schwoegler and Barry Burbank at the anchor desk with Jack Williams and Liz Walker. Harvey Leonard held court on Channel 7.

In Providence, there was no bigger weather forecasting legend than John Ghiorse. It was big news when Ghiorse jumped ship from ratings-giant Channel 10 to rival Channel 6. Gary Ley was a 31-year veteran forecaster for Channel 10.

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Here's a shoutout to the television weather pioneers, such as Don Kent, in the days before modern computer forecasting and digital graphics. Weather forecasters back then used chalkboards and cutouts made from construction paper as part of their presentations.