After more than two decades of delivering the nation’s forecast with warmth, professionalism, and unwavering optimism, Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean bid an emotional farewell to viewers, closing a remarkable chapter that has made her one of the network’s most beloved personalities.
Dean’s final appearance on *Fox & Friends* on July 10 was filled with heartfelt gratitude, tears, and reflections on a career that reached millions of Americans every morning.
Sitting on the show’s familiar couch alongside her colleagues, Dean addressed the audience directly, thanking viewers who had welcomed her into their homes for more than 20 years.
“I want to say to the audience, I have loved every moment you have invited me into your living rooms every single morning,” Dean said through tears.
“I’ve met some of you on the plaza. I’ve done the weather with some of the children. It has been an honor of my life. And I feel really blessed to have done this job.”
For longtime Fox News viewers, Dean became much more than the person delivering the daily forecast. Her cheerful personality, resilience, and openness about life’s challenges helped forge a unique connection with audiences across the country.
Dean joined Fox News more than 22 years ago and spent two decades as one of the network’s most recognizable faces. Along the way, viewers watched her celebrate some of life’s happiest moments—including her engagement and the birth of her two sons—as well as some of its most painful.
She has also spoken publicly about the heartbreaking loss of her in-laws during the COVID-19 pandemic and has become an outspoken advocate for greater accountability regarding New York’s pandemic-era nursing home policies.
Last month, Dean announced that she would be stepping away from the network, explaining that her decision was driven primarily by health concerns.
The veteran meteorologist has lived with multiple sclerosis for years, and she acknowledged that beginning work before dawn every day had become increasingly difficult.
“Living with an illness—we don’t talk about this on TV—but getting up at 2:30 in the morning is a really tough thing,” Dean explained in a video announcing her retirement.
“It’s tough on your body. I did it for a long time, and I probably shouldn’t have done it as long as I did.”
Rather than allowing her condition to worsen, Dean said she chose to prioritize her health while she still had the opportunity to make meaningful changes.
“I think I caught it at a time where I can repair myself a little bit,” she said. “Part of that is, unfortunately, getting away from a job that was very stressful in a lot of ways, even though I loved it so much.”
Dean also expressed deep appreciation for her husband, crediting him with carrying what she described as the “lion’s share” of parenting responsibilities during countless early mornings while she headed to the studio before most Americans were awake.
Now, she says, she is looking forward to spending more time with him and with their two teenage sons.
Although excited for the future, Dean admitted that leaving Fox News has been emotionally difficult.
“When you leave a career, a job, there is a grieving period because this has been part of my life,” she said.
“You guys have been my second family.”
She added that returning for one final goodbye would help make the transition a little easier.
“Turning the page on this chapter has been really heavy,” Dean said. “Maybe the pages will get lighter after this.”
For many viewers, Janice Dean represented the best of morning television: authentic, compassionate, and deeply relatable. Whether forecasting hurricanes, snowstorms, or sunny skies, she approached each broadcast with professionalism and genuine enthusiasm.
Her departure marks the end of an era for *Fox & Friends*, but her legacy extends far beyond weather reports. Through personal adversity, public advocacy, and an unmistakable love for her audience, Dean reminded millions of Americans that strength often shines brightest during life’s most difficult seasons.
As she begins this new chapter focused on health and family, countless viewers who started their mornings with Janice Dean will undoubtedly wish her exactly what she spent years wishing them: brighter days ahead.
