Pete Delkus, the familiar face of WFAA weather, is grabbing a bite at his favorite haunt, Lovers Seafood & Market. Fresh off his on-camera duties, he embodies the polished TV personality: impeccably styled silver hair, a crisp light-blue button-down, and striking red circular cufflinks. In North Texas, he’s more than just a weatherman; he’s a local celebrity. Yet, tonight, a weariness is evident. His broadcast was dominated by the somber task of reporting on devastating storms that have claimed dozens of lives. He’s due back at the studio at 10 p.m. to repeat the cycle.
Before he can even place his order, a man from a nearby table approaches. “Your team saved our lives,” Jim Lozier says, gesturing towards his wife. He recounts a harrowing night in 2019 when a tornado “exploded” through their home, tearing away doors and shattering windows, leaving glass scattered over the crib where his grandson had recently slept.
But they were safe. They had heeded WFAA’s early warning about the storm hurtling towards their street.
This moment of gratitude, like a scene from a movie, is a common occurrence for Delkus.
In an era where studies indicate a decline in trust and connection among Americans, Pete Delkus stands as a beacon of reliability. For nearly two decades, North Texans have placed their trust in Pete Delkus, who consistently delivers, not just three times nightly on air, but throughout the day on social media.
His social media presence, boasting over half a million followers, is a testament to his connection with the community. People share stories of how his warnings saved their lives, and in everyday encounters at restaurants, gyms, and grocery stores, they express their appreciation for his on-air rapport with sportscaster Dale Hansen. Many were touched when Delkus became emotional during a report about 8-year-old James, a child in foster care hoping for adoption. Even when severe weather threatened his own home, viewers connected with his relatable moment of stepping away on air to call his wife, Jacque, his partner of nearly 33 years.
His internet fame extends beyond heartfelt moments. A viral on-air error displaying an absurdly high temperature of 101105 degrees led to Delkus’s deadpan declaration, “Everyone in McKinney is dead,” spawning memes and even T-shirts.
Pete Delkus delivering the 5 p.m. weather forecast, showcasing his enduring presence on WFAA.
Delkus’s social media persona is a blend of timely weather updates and sharp, witty commentary. His Facebook profile picture captures this duality – a suited, half-smiling Delkus raising a glass, “because it’s funny,” he explains. On X, his feed is primarily weather-focused but injected with his characteristic cheekiness. He playfully takes the blame for school closures when forecasting bad weather.
Considered by some as a “weather sage,” Delkus clarifies a common misconception: “people think we’ve got this secret place we go to and get the forecast.” In reality, meteorologists analyze weather data to create forecasts. Despite the science, he good-naturedly accepts blame for everything from scorching heat to torrential rains, and of course, the occasional forecast misstep. His marketing team has playfully branded him “[possibly the most loved and hated man in North Texas].”
When faced with social media criticism, Delkus doesn’t always hold back. “You’re really hammering these people pretty good,” even his friends have remarked.
“Sometimes I say, ‘Pete, we can stop now,’” admits Carolyn Mungo, WFAA vice president and station manager. “I have to reel him in. He just loves that banter, and I think these people on social [media] do, too.” One X commenter summed it up: “Sassy Pete is my favorite Pete.”
WFAA’s Dallas-Fort Worth market encompasses over 8 million people, yet Delkus fosters a sense of community within this vast metropolis. Local businesses and fans contribute to his widespread appeal. Westlake Brewing Company named a double hazy IPA “The Delkus,” and The Truck Yard Beer Garden famously posted a sign urging Delkus to “work your magic” for cooler weather. Billboards featuring his face are a common sight.
From Diamond to Doppler: The Making of Pete Delkus
Pete Delkus, a 19-time Emmy winner in his nearly two decades at WFAA, initially resisted the weatherman path when offered the job in 1992. His aspirations were on the baseball diamond, and he reached the AAA level. However, a career-ending elbow injury in his mid-20s redirected his path. He interned at WFTV in Orlando, initially aiming for a sportscasting career.
A weekend fill-in as weatherman, where he playfully teased the news anchors, caught his boss’s attention. After a week of reluctance, Delkus was convinced to embrace meteorology, leading him to meteorology school.
During his four years in Florida, he covered hurricanes and tropical storms. However, the gravity of his role in storm navigation truly hit home in 1999, after his move to Cincinnati and a local TV station. Shortly after 5 a.m., a tornado with 200 mph winds devastated the area, claiming four lives and destroying numerous homes.
The tornado ripped through Delkus’s own neighborhood. As a relatively new meteorologist, Delkus had stayed overnight at the station anticipating the storm. He was the sole weatherman on air when it struck.
That morning, viewers tuned in to see Delkus providing crucial, real-time updates and safety instructions. In the aftermath, the station was flooded with thank-you emails and letters. Scott Diener, Delkus’s boss at the time and now a close friend, recalls, “People actually took pictures, developed them, sent them to us and said, ‘This is my house. It’s flattened. And we were in the basement because Pete told us to go there. He saved our lives.’”
Pete Delkus preparing for his 5 p.m. weather forecast, a routine he has maintained with dedication for years.
To truly understand Pete Delkus, one needs to examine his daily schedule.
From his 6 a.m. wake-up, Delkus operates at full throttle. “A triple A personality, is going and doing,” Jacque describes. He inherited this relentless drive from his parents, embodying the “rest-when-you’re-dead” ethos.
While Jacque enjoys a leisurely morning coffee in her pajamas, Delkus heads to his meticulously organized closet, where clothes are color-coded and perfectly spaced. “All the purple ties are together, all the reds are together, and if people don’t do that, then they need help,” Delkus jokes, only half-kidding. “I’m a maximizer.” Even color-coding ties saves precious minutes.
“If you want to mess with Delkus, turn his office stapler sideways,” Jacque reveals.
Delkus’s morning routine is the envy of many. He runs with his three dogs (sans headphones), followed by a gym session with a younger crowd. Early morning work calls to the news director and colleagues begin precisely when socially acceptable.
Family is a top priority. Broadcasting at 5, 6, and 10 p.m., Delkus commutes between work and home during his dinner break to maximize family time. For years, dinners with Jacque, daughter Emily (now 27), and son Peter (24) were followed by bedtime prayers with the children when they were younger. Then, it was back to the WFAA studio from his Plano home, accumulating over 100 miles of travel daily.
For respite, he escapes to rural Montana for fly-fishing and bird hunting.
Pete Delkus collaborating with meteorologist Kyle Roberts, highlighting the teamwork behind WFAA’s weather forecasts.
Delkus describes himself as “glass half-full if not completely full,” a proponent of creating his own joy. “I think life’s short. Why take yourself too seriously?” he muses.
Building Trust and Connection: The Delkus Rapport
On clear days, the focus shifts to entertainment, banter, and audience connection. Mungo explains this is “part of the job, just to kind of gain that trust and that connection. So when there’s severe weather and lives are on the line, it’s easier to go with Pete because you feel like you’ve already built that relationship.”
During severe weather coverage, “it’s almost like [Delkus is] on the couch with you saying, ‘All right, Mary, get in the closet. I’m gonna get you through this,’” Mungo adds. “He knows how to talk to an audience instead of at them. He just breaks through that screen a little more than most.” Delkus’s approach is simple: “I’m just talking to my family. What do they want to know?”
Delkus’s sincerity and enthusiasm are palpable.
“I absolutely love it. It’s the best job I think I could have ever had. It truly is, because I can have fun on sunny days. I can help people on bad-weather days. I’m living in a city that I absolutely love. And I mean, what more do you want in life?”
Liz Lancaster, 65, a Facebook follower and WFAA app user, has weathered storms across the country, from Colorado snowstorms to Texas tornadoes and South Carolina hurricanes, including Hurricane Hugo in 1989.
Lancaster, who experiences “weather issues” anxiety, appreciates Delkus’s comprehensive storm breakdowns, interrupting regular programming, rolling up his sleeves, and detailing storm movements street by street with detailed graphics. “I want to be that informed,” Lancaster states.
Even after moving back to South Carolina after 25 years in Dallas, Lancaster found herself wishing, “[I] wish [Pete] had been my local forecaster as I experienced Tropical Storm Debby” in August.
Allison Vandagriff, in her 70s, a long-time viewer since Delkus’s WFAA debut and Facebook follower, says, “I love that he talks about normal things like his dog and his family life, but when I want to really know what the weather is going to do, I turn to Pete Delkus. I think he’s more accurate than any weatherman I have ever followed.”
“I just trust Pete. Nobody’s right 100 percent of the time, but I’d say he’s at least 75 percent if not 80 percent right.”
His likable personality also matters. “Some of the other weather people are nice and I like them, but I don’t follow them on social media. Pete lets his personality shine through.”
“My mother-in-law watches another channel’s weatherman. I’m not gonna say who it is, but he’s not as accurate as Pete,” Vandagriff adds. “So I’ll watch her weather when I’m down there, and then I come home and see what my Pete Delkus has to say.”
And, with a touch of humor, she concludes, “Let’s be honest, he’s easy on the eyes.”
PHOTOS: WFAA chief weatherman Pete Delkus
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