TV meteorologist John Malan to retire

WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) chief meterologist John Malan is retiring after 36 years doing the weather in Milwaukee.

Malan, 66, will have his last day on the air March 1, the station announced Monday.

"I've had a career doing what I love. Now it's time to spend more time with my family and pass the baton to the talented team of meteorologists we have on Storm Team 4," Malan said in a statement issued by WTMJ.

Malan joined WTMJ in 1994, after 14 years at WISN-TV (Channel 12), where he also had been chief meteorologist. Before coming to Milwaukee, Malan, who grew up in Chicago, started as a part-time weather producer and broadcaster at WLS-TV in Chicago.

Before broadcasting, Malan pursued a career in baseball, but shortly after an successful big-league tryout, was drafted into the Army and served in Vietnam.

With weather forecasts an important part of local TV news, Malan has been one of the most-recognized faces in Milwaukee media — not least because of his stations' marketing campaigns. "People still come up to me and say, 'My mom dresses me funny because of John Malan,' " he said in the WTMJ statement, citing an old promotion. "I get a kick out of that."