Reason for the departure of the long-time meteorologist from 6ABC/Philadelphia

A longtime meteorologist at Channel 6 in Philadelphia – a real favorite – has announced he is leaving the station. But why?

People rarely leave 6ABC

As we commented recently, before the news became official, we estimated the likelihood of Chris Sowers leaving the network to be “incredibly low to almost zero.” But we were wrong.

Simply put, very few of Channel 6’s anchors ever leave the station. That’s what has made Action News such a mainstay in the region. The people you saw on TV as a kid are the same people you see today as an adult.

So it must be a very good opportunity for Sowers to announce his departure from the WPVI institution.

WPVI weatherman announces ‘big’ career announcement

Earlier this month, meteorologist Chris Sowers posted the following very simple message on Facebook:

There is big news about my career! I will announce it soon.

As expected, social media went crazy, with over 1,600 comments posted in less than 24 hours, many wondering what exactly one of the city’s top meteorologists was up to.

The next day, Sowers announced his departure.

My family and I have made the extremely difficult decision to leave WPVI 6abc. A huge opportunity has come up and I will be joining the talented WPTV weather team in West Palm Beach, Florida in October. This is an opportunity for me to finally get away from the weekends. I look forward to working in one of the busiest weather markets in the entire country! You have no idea how difficult this decision has been for me. Each and every one of you has become like family to me over the past 13+ years that I have been on the air here and I appreciate all of your love and support. The dungeon segments, the constant updates on social media (even on days off), I hope you can really see how much you all mean to me and I hope you all will continue to follow me on my journey. I will be posting more in the next few weeks.

WPTV is the NBC affiliate in West Palm Beach, FL, and we noticed that the studios are surrounded by palm trees – not exactly something you’d see outside Channel 6 on City Line Avenue.

But what prompted Sowers to leave? This is pure speculation on our part, but was it just a change of scenery or the fact that it is very difficult to advance at the station?

From the station that made Jim O’Brien and Dave Roberts legends in the city, it’s safe to say that the two current weather stars, Cecily Tynan and Adam Joseph, aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Tynan has been with 6ABC for nearly 30 years and Joseph for around 20. They are both fantastic presenters that the region can rely on.

And we make this prediction: If Good morning America If there is ever a job for a weather presenter, either Tynan or Joseph will get it. And fast.

Sowers is also an absolutely amazing meteorologist with a terrific screen presence, and his use of social media during inclement weather events has only caused his fan base to grow exponentially.

But getting back to his departure for West Palm Beach, the lack of advancement opportunities within an organization can be a major hurdle (again, assuming that was a factor). Sowers is such a great talent that he deserves a major spotlight, and his chances of getting that at Channel 6 probably wouldn’t have been there for a very long time.

And the palm trees don’t look bad either.