Tom Skilling to return to Chicago airwaves for eclipse coverage

After about two months into retirement, a Chicago station is bringing back a legendary meteorologist to help out with its coverage of the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

Independent WGN is bringing back Tom Skilling, who retired on Feb. 28, 2024, to help cover the event.

The station says it’s dispatching Skilling to southern Illinois, which is closer to the path of totality than Chicago itself.]

Skilling covered the 2017 eclipse from southern Illinois and has a passion for the science of nature, astronomy and climate. 

Meanwhile, Skilling’s replacement, Demetrius Ivory, is headed to Cleveland, Ohio, another city within the path, with Mike Janssen reporting from as yet unnamed location.

WGN’s special coverage starts after the station’s midday news at 1 p.m. local time.

When Skilling retired, he planned to focus his time on projects related to climate change but left open the possibility ofreturning to WGN air from time to time.

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