KARK Chief Weather Guesser Announces Retirement

 KARK Chief Meteorologist Keith Monahan has announced his retirment.  Monahan posted the announcement on his Facebook Monday evening:

28 years ago I started my dream job. From my humble beginning in Cheyenne to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Houston and finally here in Little Rock. I've got to do amazing things. From coverage of the launch of a new weather satellite from Cape Canaveral, the total solar eclipse in Paducah, the devastation cause by Hurricane Michael and being live from Lake Charles during Hurricane Laura. I helped keep you safe during the Mayflower/Vionia Tornado, brought you coverage during the historic Arkansas River Flooding and helped program thousands of weather radios over the years. We've had some fun too! We hiked hiked Pinnacle Mountain and Mount Magazine together, broadcast live from nearly 2 dozen country fairs, covered several Christmas parades, who could forget the time the float took off without me in Morrilton, did weather live from a helicopter, brought you live coverage from the Hot Springs St Patrick's Day Parades and nearly got run over by the Budweiser Clydesdales. But it's each and every one you you that I remember.

I'm announcing my retirement effective on April 5--it was planned several months ago. I want to thank you, our viewers, who trusted me over the years to bring you the very best and most accurate weather coverage I could. And thanks to all of you who sent me well wishes over the past couple of weeks during a very difficult time in my life. Arkansas is a big state full of small cities and your hospitality is second to none. Thank you for letting me into your homes over the past 11 years.

Update: “Keith’s been a mainstay on KARK’s award-winning newscasts for more than a decade. He championed the station’s ‘Most accurate forecast in Arkansas’ as named by WeatheRate for a decade plus,” KARK General Manager Kyle King said. “We will certainly miss his camaraderie throughout our building. We wish him congratulations on retirement, and enjoy that well-deserved time with family and friends.”