Fare Thee Well, Cecily Tynan
The Philly-famous meteorologist is leaving 6ABC after more than 30 years.
Cecily Tynan, who is retiring from 6ABC, speaking at the Pennsylvania Conference for Women in Philadelphia / Photograph via Getty Images
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As somebody who has been reporting on Philadelphia for more than 20 years and who has observed the stories that really get readers going, I can tell you that two of the subjects that Philadelphians tend to be obsessed with, for better or for worse, are local TV news personalities (other than sports stars, most of whom don’t actually live here, the TV folk are Philly’s celebrities) and the weather. So it’s hardly surprising that 6ABC meteorologist Cecily Tynan, who exists at the intersection of these two obsessions, has been the subject of countless stories from us and other local publications over the years. Well, it looks like we’ll have to find someone else to write about, because Cecily Tynan is retiring.
On Thursday morning, Tynan took to social media to tease a “major personal announcement” that she’d be making on the 6 p.m. news that night, and, naturally, fans and followers spent the day abuzz with what this major personal announcement might be. The smart money was that she was leaving 6ABC, whether that meant retiring or taking a job on national TV. During the 6 p.m. broadcast, she said she was going for the former. Her last broadcast will be on August 31st at 6 p.m.
“Honestly, I’m thrilled about it,” Tynan told viewers on Thursday evening. “Both my children have graduated from high school. My daughter is going to college in less than a month, and she’ll be running cross-country and track, and my husband and I, we plan to attend every single one of her meets. So it’s the right time for me. It’s the right time for my family.”
Tynan, who is originally from Connecticut, came to us in 1995 from Las Vegas, where she reported on the news and weather on the Vegas equivalent of Good Day Philadelphia. She quickly rose through the ranks at 6ABC, eventually becoming the station’s lead weather voice by 2009. Tynan also became the network’s face for the Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Philadelphia Flower Show.
I originally intended to reflect upon some of my favorite Cecily Tynan stories that I and others have written over the years. Many of these had absolutely nothing to do with the weather, because, again, Tynan was long ago elevated into bona fide Philly celebrity status, meaning that her every movement on- or off-screen became fair game for coverage.
But, honestly, as a parent with two kids around the same age as Tynan’s, the idea of her leaving her extremely well-paying job (she was making over $600,000 two decades ago, long before she achieved Most Popular status) and settling into private life so that her and her husband can attend every one of their daughter’s track meets, well, that almost brings a tear to my eye. Almost.
So fare thee well, Cecily Tynan. It’s been fun. Well, for me, anyway.
