After 40 years at WTHR, Chuck Lofton announces retirement plans

Chuck Lofton (Photo courtesy of WTHR)

Chuck Lofton, who’s delivered weather forecasts across all 40 years of the “Sunrise” morning show on WTHR-TV Channel 13, announced Thursday his plans to retire.

Lofton, 67, said his final telecast for the NBC affiliate will air shortly after this year’s Indianapolis 500 on May 25.

“I feel the time is right,” Lofton said during Thursday’s episode of “Sunrise.” “When ‘Sunrise’ began—I know it’s hard to believe—I was a young man in his twenties with a wife and two little babies. Well, I’m now a much older man with two beautiful granddaughters. All of those years, it has simply been a joy to help you get ready for work or school.”

The native of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, a Chicago suburb that borders Wisconsin along Lake Michigan, was hired by WTHR for the launch of “Sunrise” in 1985.

Travel is closely associated with Lofton, whether he’s on the go or WTHR viewers have taken a two-dimensional cutout of the meteorologist—known as “Flat Chuck”—around the world for photo opportunities.

In 2018, Lofton reported on the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in England for WTHR. One of the channel’s features, “Chuck’s Big Adventure,” sends Lofton around the United States to scout possible vacation spots for viewers.

The graduate of Southern Illinois University was named National Broadcaster of the Year by the National Weather Association in 2007.

In 2022, Lofton had a significant health scare, followed by triple-bypass heart surgery and a two-month recovery off the air. He was 65, and at the time and told IBJ that in some ways, he was healthier after the surgery than he was five years earlier. He said then that he would keep working—at least for a while.

“Chuck has been an integral part of WTHR and the Indianapolis community for decades, with a passion for keeping Hoosiers informed and prepared for Indiana weather,” said Michael Brouder, the station’s president and general manager, in a written statement. “His dedication to serving viewers across this great state has set the standard for excellence in broadcasting. While we will miss him dearly, we celebrate his incredible career and the many lives he has touched.”

Lofton is the second Indianapolis weather forecaster this month to announce retirement plans. Kevin Gregory, who’s worked for WRTV-TV Channel 6 since 1989, will exit his role at the ABC affiliate on Feb. 28.