Janice Dean Says Emotional Goodbye to Fox News After More Than Two Decades

After more than 22 years of delivering weather forecasts to millions of Americans, longtime Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean has said an emotional farewell to the network and the viewers who made her part of their morning routines.

Dean made her final appearance on Fox & Friends on July 10, joining her colleagues on the program’s familiar couch for a deeply personal goodbye filled with gratitude, reflection, and tears.

Speaking directly to viewers, Dean thanked the families who had welcomed her into their homes each morning for more than two decades.

“I have loved every moment you have invited me into your living rooms every single morning,” she said through tears. Dean also recalled meeting viewers on the Fox News plaza and inviting children to participate in weather segments.

“It has been an honor of my life,” she added. “I feel really blessed to have done this job.”

More Than a Weather Forecaster

To many longtime viewers, Dean was far more than the person explaining temperatures, snowstorms, hurricanes, and sunny skies. Her warmth, humor, resilience, and willingness to discuss personal struggles helped her build an unusually strong connection with the audience.

During her years at Fox News, viewers witnessed major milestones in her life, including her engagement, marriage, and the births of her two sons. They also supported her through painful experiences, including the deaths of her in-laws during the COVID-19 pandemic.

That loss led Dean to become a vocal advocate for greater transparency and accountability surrounding New York’s pandemic-era nursing home policies.

A Difficult Decision Driven by Health

Dean announced her departure from Fox News last month, explaining that she needed to place greater priority on her health.

The veteran meteorologist has lived with multiple sclerosis for years. She said the demanding schedule of waking before dawn—often beginning her day at 2:30 a.m.—had become increasingly difficult for her body.

“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,” Dean explained when announcing her retirement.

She acknowledged that she may have continued the demanding routine longer than was healthy because of how deeply she loved the job.

“I think I caught it at a time where I can repair myself a little bit,” she said. “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.”

Rather than waiting for her condition to worsen, Dean decided to step away while she could still make meaningful changes to protect her long-term well-being.

Putting Family First

Dean also expressed appreciation for her husband, whom she credited with carrying the “lion’s share” of parenting responsibilities during the many years she left home before sunrise.

She now hopes to spend more time with him and their two teenage sons, enjoying the family moments that her early-morning television schedule often made difficult.

Although Dean is optimistic about the next chapter, she admitted that leaving a career that shaped so much of her adult life has brought a genuine sense of grief.

“When you leave a career, a job, there is a grieving period because this has been part of my life,” she said. “You guys have been my second family.”

Returning for one final appearance, she explained, allowed her to close that chapter properly.

“Turning the page on this chapter has been really heavy,” Dean said. “Maybe the pages will get lighter after this.”

A Lasting Television Legacy

For generations of Fox & Friends viewers, Janice Dean represented some of the most valued qualities in morning television: authenticity, compassion, professionalism, and optimism.

Whether she was covering a dangerous hurricane, a major winter storm, or a beautiful summer morning, Dean brought energy and genuine enthusiasm to every forecast.

Her departure marks the end of an important era for the program, but her influence reaches far beyond weather reporting. Through her public advocacy, personal courage, and openness about living with multiple sclerosis, she showed viewers how strength can emerge from difficult circumstances.

As Dean begins a new chapter centered on health, recovery, and family, millions of Americans who started their mornings with her will be wishing her the same thing she offered viewers for more than two decades:

Brighter days ahead.