John Bolaris
Encyclopedia
John Bolaris is the chief meteorologist for WTXF, the Fox affiliate in Philadelphia. He began working for the station in January 2008 after a five year stint as meteorologist at WCBS
in New York, which was his second stint at the station.
A 1975 graduate of Connetquot High School
, Bolaris started his career in 1982 at Metro Weather Service
where he worked as a syndicated meteorologist until 1987, when he joined News 12 Long Island
. Later that year, he was hired by WCBS to be their weekend meteorologist and stayed there until 1990.
After leaving WCBS the first time Bolaris relocated to Philadelphia, where he went to work for then-CBS affiliate WCAU-TV
. He remained at the station for 13 years, departing in 2003 to return to WCBS as its chief meteorologist. Toward the end of his second time at the station Bolaris was taken off the nightly newscasts, working mornings and weekends until his departure. While at WCBS, he also occasionally filled in for Dave Price
on CBS' The Early Show
.
On November 1, 2007, it was announced that he would move back to Philadelphia to become the chief weatherman for WTXF-TV
, for their 5 p.m and 10 p.m. newscasts. His first broadcast upon his return to Philadelphia was on January 8, 2008.
He has an associate's degree
in applied science
from Suffolk County Community College
and studied meteorology at the U.S. Air Force Weather Technical School.
Bolaris has won four Emmy award
s—three for Best Weathercaster and one for Best Entertainment Host for "Time Out," a show he co-hosted for five years on NBC 10.
He has one daughter, Reina Sofia with WPIX
's Tiffany McElroy
, who also worked with Bolaris at WCAU
in Philadelphia.
(NBC10) in Philadelphia for predicting the "Storm of the Century". That storm stayed north of the area.
By comparing the upcoming storm to a past storm, Bolaris made a prediction on a Wednesday that scared viewers into staying home and preparing for a major storm. Bolaris insisted that a "Breaking News" crawl be put up during Law and Order. It was the last night of the February sweeps ratings period and Bolaris was accused of hyping the storm for ratings. It was forecast to hit on Monday of the following week, but it missed Philadelphia. Bolaris's last broadcast was that Friday and he stuck with his forecast, even though others backed off. Bolaris, as chief meteorologist, never took the opportunity to change the forecast over the weekend. The lead meteorologists at every other station in town came into work and changed the forecast before Wednesday.
During the week leading up to the storm
, Bolaris urged viewers to stay home and make alternate arrangements for an impending Monday storm that was to dump snowfall similar to the Blizzard of 1996 that hit Philadelphia. The storm only resulted in a couple of inches of snow
for the area. Following the storm that wasn't, Bolaris was booed when his face was shown on the video screen at a Philadelphia Flyers game and Bolaris claims that he even received death threats from viewers. Bolaris told Philadelphia Magazine in 2007 that the incident still haunts him and played a role in his departure from WCAU to return to New York, but refused to accept the full blame for his forecast because no one believed the path of the storm would change as drastically as it did. At the time of the blown forecast, Bolaris did accept full responsibility and apologized in a cover story in the Philadelphia Daily News.
card was charged for $43,000. AMEX did not believe his story of being scammed and sent his account to collection. In April 2011, with the help of Bolaris' testimony, the FBI busted the crime ring and arrested 17 people.
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
in New York, which was his second stint at the station.
A 1975 graduate of Connetquot High School
Connetquot High School
Connetquot High School is a public high school serving students from the communities of Bohemia, Sayville, West Sayville, Oakdale and Ronkonkoma in the ninth through twelfth grades located in Bohemia, New York and is part of the Connetquot Central School District.-Athletics:The school competes in...
, Bolaris started his career in 1982 at Metro Weather Service
Metro Weather Service
Metro Weather Service, Inc. is a small business specializing in weather forecasting. It is based in Valley Stream, New York but has clients across North America...
where he worked as a syndicated meteorologist until 1987, when he joined News 12 Long Island
News 12 Networks
News 12 Networks comprises seven regional cable news television channels in the New York metropolitan area. The channels offer local news 24-hours a day and reach approximately 3.8 million television households in the tri-state area...
. Later that year, he was hired by WCBS to be their weekend meteorologist and stayed there until 1990.
After leaving WCBS the first time Bolaris relocated to Philadelphia, where he went to work for then-CBS affiliate WCAU-TV
WCAU
WCAU, channel 10, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. WCAU has its studios on the border between Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 34 from a transmitter in the...
. He remained at the station for 13 years, departing in 2003 to return to WCBS as its chief meteorologist. Toward the end of his second time at the station Bolaris was taken off the nightly newscasts, working mornings and weekends until his departure. While at WCBS, he also occasionally filled in for Dave Price
Dave Price
For the American publisher with the same name see Dave Price .Dave Price was a reporter and weatherman for CBS's The Early Show until he and Maggie Rodriguez were let go in an effort to boost last place ratings.Before his broadcasting career, Price spent eight years as a corporate human resources...
on CBS' The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
.
On November 1, 2007, it was announced that he would move back to Philadelphia to become the chief weatherman for WTXF-TV
WTXF-TV
WTXF-TV, virtual channel 29 , is an owned-and-operated station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, for their 5 p.m and 10 p.m. newscasts. His first broadcast upon his return to Philadelphia was on January 8, 2008.
He has an associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
in applied science
Applied science
Applied science is the application of scientific knowledge transferred into a physical environment. Examples include testing a theoretical model through the use of formal science or solving a practical problem through the use of natural science....
from Suffolk County Community College
Suffolk County Community College
Suffolk County Community College is a two-year public college on Long Island, NY sponsored by SUNY and Suffolk County, New York in the USA....
and studied meteorology at the U.S. Air Force Weather Technical School.
Bolaris has won four Emmy award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s—three for Best Weathercaster and one for Best Entertainment Host for "Time Out," a show he co-hosted for five years on NBC 10.
He has one daughter, Reina Sofia with WPIX
WPIX
WPIX, channel 11, is a television station in New York City built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WPIX also serves as the flagship station of The CW Television Network...
's Tiffany McElroy
Tiffany McElroy
Tiffany McElroy is a former news anchor and reporter. She co-anchored portions of the PIX Morning News on WPIX in New York City from August 2004 to August 2009, following two years at WCAU-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, who also worked with Bolaris at WCAU
WCAU
WCAU, channel 10, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. WCAU has its studios on the border between Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 34 from a transmitter in the...
in Philadelphia.
Storm of the Century
In March 2001, John Bolaris became infamous in Philadelphia at WCAUWCAU
WCAU, channel 10, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. WCAU has its studios on the border between Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 34 from a transmitter in the...
(NBC10) in Philadelphia for predicting the "Storm of the Century". That storm stayed north of the area.
By comparing the upcoming storm to a past storm, Bolaris made a prediction on a Wednesday that scared viewers into staying home and preparing for a major storm. Bolaris insisted that a "Breaking News" crawl be put up during Law and Order. It was the last night of the February sweeps ratings period and Bolaris was accused of hyping the storm for ratings. It was forecast to hit on Monday of the following week, but it missed Philadelphia. Bolaris's last broadcast was that Friday and he stuck with his forecast, even though others backed off. Bolaris, as chief meteorologist, never took the opportunity to change the forecast over the weekend. The lead meteorologists at every other station in town came into work and changed the forecast before Wednesday.
During the week leading up to the storm
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
, Bolaris urged viewers to stay home and make alternate arrangements for an impending Monday storm that was to dump snowfall similar to the Blizzard of 1996 that hit Philadelphia. The storm only resulted in a couple of inches of snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
for the area. Following the storm that wasn't, Bolaris was booed when his face was shown on the video screen at a Philadelphia Flyers game and Bolaris claims that he even received death threats from viewers. Bolaris told Philadelphia Magazine in 2007 that the incident still haunts him and played a role in his departure from WCAU to return to New York, but refused to accept the full blame for his forecast because no one believed the path of the storm would change as drastically as it did. At the time of the blown forecast, Bolaris did accept full responsibility and apologized in a cover story in the Philadelphia Daily News.
South Beach scam
In March 2010, Bolaris was the victim of a "Bar Girls" scam run by an international crime ring. He was drugged and his American ExpressAmerican Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
card was charged for $43,000. AMEX did not believe his story of being scammed and sent his account to collection. In April 2011, with the help of Bolaris' testimony, the FBI busted the crime ring and arrested 17 people.