To be fair they never really left, but they were going to. Now, Iowans can rejoice! Some of our most trusted faces in local weather — our weather partners here, and the team you tune into when the skies darken and the tornado sirens start wailing — are here to stay. After a whirlwind week of confusion, corporate doublespeak, and some rather questionable Facebook moderation, KWWL has confirmed that your local meteorologists are not going anywhere. That’s right — Schnack and the pack are back in action, ready to help you figure out if that picnic is a good idea or if it’s time to batten down the hatches.

Credit: KWWL.com
Credit: KWWL.com
loading...

Let’s face it, in Iowa the weather isn’t just small talk; it’s survival. One minute it’s sunny with a gentle breeze, the next you’re dodging hail the size of softballs while trying to rescue your lawn chairs from the neighbor’s yard. Who better to guide us through these meteorological mood swings than the people who actually live here and know the difference between “oh, it’s just a little wind” and “grab the pets, we’re heading to the basement”?

Eagle 102.3 logo
Get our free mobile app

But last week, the unthinkable almost happened. Allen Media Group, KWWL’s parent company and owner of The Weather Channel, decided that local meteorologists might be as unnecessary as a winter coat in July. Their plan? Replace trusted local weather teams with centralized forecasts from Atlanta. Because, you know, nothing screams “reliable local coverage” like someone 900 miles away trying to pronounce Maquoketa or explaining why the “mid-afternoon tornado threat” is worth delaying dinner plans.

Credit: KWWL 7 YouTube Channel Meteorologist Mark Schnackenberg
Credit: KWWL 7 YouTube Channel
Chief Meteorologist Mark Schnackenberg
loading...

Naturally, Iowans weren’t having it. People flooded KWWL with emails, calls, and social media comments, making it crystal clear that the cornfields would sooner uproot themselves than let this happen. Meanwhile, viewers (and listeners) were kept on their toes by social media posts about the layoffs and corporate PR about the process.

Credit: KWWL 7 YouTube Channel Meteorologist Josh Franson.
Credit: KWWL 7 YouTube Channel
Meteorologist Josh Franson
loading...

Amid the chaos, one thing became clear: Iowans are passionate about their weather — and for good reason. This isn’t just about knowing whether to pack an umbrella; it’s about having a lifeline during a derecho, a flood, or the dreaded “wintry mix.” And let’s be honest, it’s also about the comfort of seeing familiar faces on TV, like Mark Schnackenberg and the rest of KWWL’s weather team, who know our local weather quirks, geography, and that special look the sky gets before it turns green.

Credit: KWWL 7 YouTube Channel Meteorologist Brandon Libby
Credit: KWWL 7 YouTube Channel
Meteorologist Brandon Libby
loading...

Thankfully, sanity prevailed. After a wave of public outcry that could rival a summer storm front, Allen Media Group backed off its plan, deciding that maybe — just maybe — Iowans would prefer to get their weather updates from people who can actually find Manchester, Cascade, Dyersville, or Dubuque on a map.

Sure, they’re still keeping their Atlanta-based weather hub in some scaled-back form, but KWWL’s meteorologists are sticking around to do what they do best: keep us informed, safe, and entertained with the occasional snow-measuring yardstick or weather-related dad joke.

Credit: KWWL 7 YouTube Channel Meteorologist Danny Cassidy
Credit: KWWL 7 YouTube Channel
Meteorologist Danny Cassidy
loading...

So here’s to Schnack and the WX pack. They’re not just meteorologists; they’re some of Iowa’s unsung heroes, the people who make sure we know when to grab a coat, when to grab a flashlight, and when to just stay home and bake cookies while the storm blows through. And let’s be honest — no one in Atlanta is going to understand the existential crisis of an April snowstorm warning quite like they do. Schnack and the pack are back, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

LOOK: Biggest snowfalls recorded in Iowa history

Stacker compiled a list of the biggest 1-day snowfalls in Iowa using data from the National Centers for Environmental Information.

Gallery Credit: Stacker

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF

More From Eagle 102.3