After 20 years of forecasting the weather into millions of homes across the United States, Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean has officially signed off the air in an emotional, tear-filled goodbye on July 10, 2026. While sitting on the iconic curvy couch on the “Fox & Friends” set, Dean used her final moments on air to thank the viewing audience, whom she referred to as her “friends” and reflected on the milestones she achieved during her time on the long-running morning talk show.
“I want to say to the audience, I have loved every moment you have invited me into your living rooms every single morning,” a tearful Dean went on to say. “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,” she continued.
Dean, who has been with Fox for over 22 years, announced she would be leaving the network in a video posted on social media platform X in June 2026. In the video, she explained her struggles with multiple sclerosis and stated that the early morning work schedule was having a negative impact on her overall health.
“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, right? 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,” she stated, according to a report from Fox News via AOL. She then revealed that part of the healing process for her involved reducing her stress levels, which means leaving the work she does as a meteorologist.
“But I think I caught it at a time where I can repair myself a little bit. And 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 explained. Dean said that throughout the time she has been on the show, she’s shared a number of major milestone events on television. This includes her engagement, having two children, and even the death of her in-laws during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The meteorologist then said she’s looking forward to spending more of her time with her family and two teenage sons. She then expressed gratitude toward her beloved husband, who she said took on the “lion’s share of those mornings” in order for her to pursue her career and passion. She then referred to her time off air as being a “grieving period.”
She then said that returning to give a final farewell with the audience was to help lighten some of the heaviness she felt from having to leave the program. “When you leave a career [or] a job, there is a grieving period because this has been part of my life,” Dean said, adding that her colleagues and viewers have become like a second family to her.
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“You guys have been my second family, and this, I think, will help me with that grieving period, because turning the page on this chapter has been really heavy,” she said. “And maybe the pages will get lighter after this,” she continued. For those who aren’t familiar with multiple sclerosis, it is an autoimmune disease that attacks the central nervous system. There is currently no cure for the illness.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video