Friday, October 3, 2025

FOX Weather's Bob Van Dillen Reaches 30-Year Milestone


FOX Weather Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen Thursday marked his 30 year anniversary as a broadcast meteorologist. He was joined by his fellow FOX Weather colleagues Stephen Morgan and Marissa Torres to reflect on his early days as an on-air meteorologist in 1995 and the journey he took to land his "favorite job" at FOX Weather.

Van Dillen launched his professional journey in the mid-1990s as a forecaster for the Metro Weather Service on Long Island, New York, where he honed his skills in local weather prediction. He then transitioned to on-air roles at local television stations in upstate New York: WUTR (ABC affiliate, Utica, NY): Early meteorology position focusing on regional forecasts. His early stops included:

  • WXXA (FOX affiliate, Albany, NY): Delivered weather segments for local news.
  • WTVH-TV (CBS affiliate, Syracuse, NY): Served as morning meteorologist for over two years, covering evening newscasts and producing a weekly series on El Niño/La Niña phenomena.

Mid-Career: WCNC and HLN Breakthrough.  In the early 2000s, Van Dillen moved south to WCNC 6 News, the NBC affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he worked as a weekend meteorologist, reporting on severe weather events in the Southeast.

Bob Van Dillen
His big break came around 2003 when he joined HLN (then Headline News, part of CNN) as the meteorologist for the top-rated morning show Morning Express with Robin Meade, co-hosting alongside Robin Meade for more than 20 years until the show's end in 2023.

During this period, he became a familiar face for national audiences, delivering daily forecasts with his signature Jersey accent and relatable style. Highlights included live coverage of major events like Hurricanes Matthew, Michael, and Harvey; Superstorm Sandy; and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades.  He also ventured into adventurous reporting, such as flying with the Blue Angels, ice climbing on an Alaskan glacier, and broadcasting from the Steamboat Weather Summit in Colorado.

In July 2023, Van Dillen joined FOX Weather, FOX News Media's free ad-supported streaming weather service, as an on-air host and meteorologist, based in New York. He contributes to live storm coverage, forecasts, and special segments, often sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses on social media, like his excitement for the platform's third anniversary in October 2024.


Notable moments include reporting on coverage of Hurricane Helene on September 27, 2024. Helene, a Category 4 storm that made landfall in Florida before carving a destructive path through the Southeast, caused catastrophic flooding in Georgia, including Atlanta. While reporting live from North Atlanta near Peachtree Creek (which crested at its third-highest level on record, around 23 feet), Van Dillen interrupted his broadcast to rescue a woman trapped in her submerged vehicle.

The Rescue: He removed his wallet from his pants to avoid losing it in the water.

  • Wading into chest-deep (for him at 6'1") floodwaters, he reached the vehicle and reassured her: "Yeah, I gotcha. I got you loud and clear."
  • He unbuckled her seatbelt, lifted her onto his back, and carried her through the raging currents to dry ground and safety.

The entire effort was captured on FOX cameras, showing Van Dillen navigating the hazardous conditions while staying composed.

FOX Weather President Sharri Berg praised his "relatability and conversation-focused style" as a perfect fit for the team.

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