WOAI-TV losing its weatherman

John Gerard, WOAI-TV’s chief meteorologist for the past four years — and the man who helped birth the station’s signature “4 Zone Forecast” — is leaving San Antonio for a weather post on the CBS affiliate in Miami.

“John’s torn. He loves San Antonio,” Blaise Labbe, director of news for WOAI/KABB, said Tuesday. In turn, the station will sorely miss Gerard’s all-out devotion to delivering as accurate a weathercast as possible for the people of South Texas, Labbe indicated.

Labbe said Gerard’s family — including his wife and grown children — still reside in Florida, where Gerard has a business. And the commuting back and forth has been difficult on the weatherman.

Gerard’s last day will be May 30. His new job will have him forecasting at WFOR-TV in Miami. Labbe said the development “happened so fast” that it may be a while before the station names a new chief meteorologist.

The 5, 6 and 10 p.m. meteorologist had the hard task of replacing popular Jennifer Broome after her WOAI ouster in early 2010.

It didn’t take long, however, for Gerard to win over viewers with his friendly delivery, contagious warmth and entertainingly giddy interaction with Randy Beamer, Delaine Mathieu and others on the news.

Most of all, News 4 audiences will miss Gerard’s diligent weather work, which included the creation of the station’s “4 Zone Forecast,” consisting of  brief, helpful forecasts for each of the various regions in and around San Antonio.

Photo: WOAI