MOBILE, Ala. — For generations of Gulf Coast viewers, John Nodar has been the voice telling them whether to grab an umbrella or board up the windows. Now the veteran meteorologist is preparing to sign off. Nodar announced Wednesday, Sept. 30, that he will retire at the end of the 2026 hurricane season, closing out a 47-year career in television and radio.
In a social media post, Nodar said his final day will be Nov. 30, the official last day of the Atlantic hurricane season. That date will mark the end of 41 years at a Mobile television station, where his morning forecasts made him a familiar face in homes across the region.
Staying in Mobile
Nodar said he and his wife, Janet, plan to remain in Mobile after he retires.
Reflecting on more than four decades on the air, he wrote: “Funny how you put one foot in front of the other and decades go by.”
A forecaster viewers grew up with
A career that long on local television means Nodar has been part of daily life for multiple generations of viewers. He said he is often approached by adults who remember him visiting their classrooms when they were children, and by longtime viewers who tell him they have watched his forecasts for their entire lives.
“I am so fortunate to have been a part of their lives and yours,” Nodar said. “I feel it’s a matter of trust, and I value that trust.”
Trust is especially important for a meteorologist on the Gulf Coast. Local forecasters are often the first place residents turn when a tropical system enters the Gulf, when severe storms threaten or when flooding rains are on the way. Over a career spanning more than four decades on the coast, Nodar’s forecasts have guided viewers through hurricane seasons, severe weather outbreaks and the everyday decisions of life near the water.
Classroom visits, like the ones Nodar’s viewers remember, are a longstanding tradition for local TV meteorologists, who often talk with students about how weather works, what forecasters do and how families can stay safe during storms.
Passing the clicker
Nodar used his announcement to praise the people he has worked with. He said he will hand the morning news weather clicker to meteorologist Caroline Carithers, whom he called the “best co-worker ever.”
“She’s a talented, dedicated meteorologist and a good friend,” he said. “I’m leaving you in good hands with our crew. Our management, front office folks, engineers, news team, and meteorologists are the best. I know what goes on behind the scenes, and I can tell you that these are professionals trying their level best to bring you honest, fair, factual reporting. I leave with respect, admiration, and genuine affection for my colleagues and I will miss them dearly.”
He closed with a message to the community: “It’s been an honor to be a part of this station and to serve this community. Thanks for your trust. Thanks for so many kind words over the years.”
One last hurricane season
Nodar’s final weeks on the air come during an unusual season. As of the end of September, the 2026 Atlantic season had not produced a single hurricane, the first time that has happened since the start of the weather satellite era in 1960. Forecasters have pointed to a strong El Niño, which increases wind shear over the Atlantic and makes it harder for storms to organize.
Even so, forecasters caution that October often brings a late-season spike in tropical activity, with storms forming close to home in the northwest Caribbean and the Gulf. That means Nodar’s final stretch on the air could still include some of the tropical tracking that has defined so much of his career on the Gulf Coast.
When to tune in
Viewers who want to catch Nodar’s forecasts before he retires have until Nov. 30. After that, Carithers will take over the morning weather duties he has held.
For a broadcaster who said his career came down to trust, the final weeks of the 2026 season will be a chance for viewers to say thank you to a forecaster many of them have watched for most of their lives.