NBC Action Communities

Gary....I could not ask for a more beautiful day to get outside work done!  I have one question for you;  When I look on the radar on the KSHB site, there's a lot of green - light green color on the radar.  Are those false echos?  Just curious about that - maybe the humidity from the ground?  I have no idea, so I figured you and the team may know what it is.  Thanks!

Andrew

Those are sooooo cool! It is surprising that they never mentioned your name at all, but everyone new who it was. Now that I saw those I think I actually remember them. Awesome.

Did you have fun on your 6 months off back then? That might be too long for me to not do much!

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The 6 months off was nice.  I was working behind the scenes preparing. But, it still was very nice.

Gary

Hi Gary, thanks for sharing the Windy promos, they were great to see again.  Headed out to the pool for a dip in the 104 degree heat here in PHX...possibility of some monsoonal storminess in the area this evening, perhaps.

thanks gary that was great windy just about took over the show !!

->Andrew,
It's ground-clutter, or otherwise known as when the radar beams hit clutter on the ground such as trees or buildings, and is sent back, and shows up as precipitation.
http://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints2/391/

Gary, thanks for sharing Windy's promos.  It was great to see them and her again :D  I remember when these came out and thinking "what a great marketing campaign!"

I don't remember the Oprah appearance.  Any chance that you can post that clip?

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I have the Oprah appearance on tape somewhere.  She started the show with me and Windy for about a minute, "Meet Windy, Windy the weather dog".  They just showed a tape so we weren't on live.

Gary

At 1pm??? Don't you mean 10pm?

She's precious Gary!  Maybe you could train Stormy to take over?!

Gary, thanks for the stroll down Memory Lane.  Windy was so very special.  It seemed like you were off the air for more than six months!  Her coaches did pretty good, too!

Edna in Leavenworth

ROFLOLOL!!!  I wasn't here ten years ago. Those promos are all new to me and they're WONDERFUL!!!  Windy is my kind of dog. Thanks so much for bringing the promos back, Gary, and congratulations on ten years at KSHB!!

Tina

Just curious...does somebody want to tell me what station Gary was on before he moved to KSHB?

Tina

FOX 4  

Is anyone besides me having trouble with the video? I can get through the first part of the clip and then it freezes up going into the second promo.

Oh wow Gary...I have to admit, I got a little teary eyed watching that video!  I soooo remember 10 years ago. I was working with Dr. Hock at the hospital and asked him why you were leaving that other station...uh, yeah...huge promotion!  Congrats on ten years at KSHB!  Thanks for sharing the video with us.  

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Thank you so much for the kind words. Windy was very special!  Stormy will be on the set with me on Friday. Breezy stays at home.  I wish I could share her with the audience, but she is on in some home videos at times.  They are all special, but Windy had a very special talent!

Gary

Gary,
Congratulations for 10 years at channel 41. You are one of the top 2 TV weatherman in the country. The other being Tom Skilling in Chicago. Good luck on the next 10 years.

Dave G.

Congrats on 10 years at KSHB. I remember Windy fondly and even got to meet her one day. I know that she is in Heaven helping to keep the weather there juuuuust perfect!

Thanks for bringing back memories of Windy!

Yep, I remember those now, I remember them doing the promos with WINDY, and as soon as I seen that I knew it meant Gary was coming to the station, I remember not seeing him for awhile  on *the other station* and wondered what happened but then those commercials showed up and all was right with the world;)

Gary, Congratulations on 10 years!!! It doesn't seem that long ago, but it's hard to remember when we weren't watching you.  Thank you for sharing these memories of Windy, truly a special dog!! Just curious, do you think you'll name your next dogs Sunny or Snowy?? Thanks for taking the time to help us understand the weather and here's to the next 10 years!!!

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Thank you so much! It will be a while before I get another dog.  Stormy is 8 years old and Breezy is 3.

Gary

GARY>>>> Those were the days! Like I said yesterday I remember when you disappeared from the morning show on 4. I also remember how it created an uproar from your previous employer like you said above. I remember thinking how clever that was putting Windy on the commercial because everyone knew who Windy was. We have been with 41 since. I remember when Windy passed away we went and made a donation to the Independence animal shelter in Windy's name. We got the idea to do that when our Vet made a donation to Mizzou vetinary school when we had to have our 4 yr old dog put down because of a severe seizure disorder and the medication eventualy ruined her liver. Here is to another 10 years Gary!! Thanks for making weather fun and somewhat easy for us to understand!!!!

Gary,
    Congratulations on 10 years!!!!!   I loved watching the Windy promos.  Thanks for sharing.  Melissa

Dave, I agree with you abou tTom Skilling. I still tune in to WGN to see him sometimes, especially when they get big snowstorms. Gary, I had no idea you had been on Fox. Good move to NBC, G-Man.

There is nothing like having had a special "heart dog" in your life. Windy sounds like she was that very special dog, heaven sent -- like our Jimmy, a border collie and lab mix shelter dog.  He's ten now, and we were looking at his puppy pics tonight. I think of the ways he has changed and influenced our lives and I believe in guardian angels. We love him so much that we've turned down an invitation to a Fourth party this Saturday, because he needs to be tranquilized and still panics every Fourth. We do that for him because he's done so much for us.

Non-compete clauses are the pits, aren't they? When my husband's previous company was bought out in 2004, they decided to institute very restrictive non-competes with all the sales people and managers. My husband (hard headed Scot from Scotland) went to the mat for his salespeople and got the new owners to scale back the non-compete restrictions a lot. He risked his own job to do that -- and then he resigned a year later. I was so proud of him, and the sales people who worked for him have never forgotten how he fought for their right to work where they wanted.

Twelve cubic yards of mulch being delivered in the morning -- YAYYYY!!!  My Jeep has a personalized license that reads "MULCH" -- so you know I'm happy!

Tina

Alright, no place on this blog really for this, but here goes.  You know Gary, I remember the promo's, I remember your first day weather cast.  Watching the video's again, brought back memories.  The summer before we lost our chow-chow of 16 years.  I got her on Valentines Day for my wife.  She was beautiful, just as Windy.  We never get over our pets do we?  We move on, get another pet and watch them leave us.  Heartbreaking moments in time my friend, heartbreaking.

OK, on with the weather.  Forty percent on the Fourth.  Whats new.  I'll just have to start off that morning with the smokers under the canopy.  I'll be watching your weather cast very close over the next 72 hours.  Hopefully, when I get up at 4AM Saturday it won't be raining.  Storms could be a disaster.  Too many people coming here for Fireworks at Perry Lake to not have food and decent weather.  But its a holiday weekend and we all know what that means, even if Gary Lezak is in town.

Gary, your move to KSHB was sort of a surprise to me and I became a fan of you while you were already at KSHB so I never saw those promos. Seeing those promos now makes me understand how special Windy was. I can understand putting together those clips must have been difficult. You are a one of a kind man who had a one of a kind dog. Keep doing great things.

Gary,

Great video's of Windy, she was a great dog wasn't she!  Very clever marketing idea as well.  Thanks for sharing, now you spend these years making memories with Breezy and Stormy!

Take care,
Tim

Unfortunately I cannot watch the videos until my hubby gets back...my flash player does not work and his does and he is in Rolla until Thursday.  Cant wait to see them.
becky

That has to be one of the most clever promotions ever for any station that I have seen. Who said you couldn't say "Windy's master" instead of Gary Lezak being back at the maps. I don't remember much from back in the 90s in terms of morning weather casts, simply because I would not wake up in the morning until 10 or 11. I only watched you on NBC 41!

Now... when I have to get up early, sometimes I wish you were on in the morning. I can always catch you on at 5 or 6pm or on the blog. Happy you're on NBC at night by far!

It was always so cool when your station would come in and I could see you doing the weather forecast which was so much better than what I'd otherwise have to watch. It was always so helpful, and Windy was always great to see. She didn't just deserve to be on Oprah, she should have been able to take Oprah's spot!

At least I can say that you and Windy are the only reasons I bought a new and bigger TV antenna, along with the ice storm. Every night from then on, I would stay up to watch you and Windy, and eat some ice cream! Well... I had to stop the ice cream ;)

Gary, I remember watching your very first morning newscast at the other place a very long time ago when they were the NBC affiliate in town, no 41! Another teacher & I were instrumental in getting you & Windy to come talk at our school in 1995. My students even sang for you. I have pictures of that somewhere in storage that I've not yet unpacked since moving. Those were the days when Windy was lively, you had longer hair on top, and I had just a little smaller waistline!

Just curious: 1. how many years total have you lived in Kansas City? 2. what breed was Windy & how old was she when she died? She was beautiful -- just not cut out to be an actor.

Loved watching Windy all those years!  My heart broke for you when you had to say goodbye.  Our Windy showed up about that time, on a very windy night we brought her in from outside where she had hung out all day "talking" to our dogs through the fence.  It was only fitting she should stay with us and be our very own "Windy".  Thanks for sharing your Windy the Weatherdog with us for so many years.
--deb,dave,hoss, popeye and Windy

Gary,
Wow...I have never seen those.  Windy was BEAUTIFUL!  You can tell she had a lot of special qualities. (I had to watch those here at work lol)
becky

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Becky,

Windy was a very special dog. And Breezy and Stormy were able to spend some valuable time with her.  And, now Stormy is on the air every Friday at 5 PM at the end of our newscast. 

Have a fantastic day!

Gary

ChicagoExPat;
Were you living in Chicago when Harry Volkman (retired) was working as a TV weatherman. He was the best TV weatherman in Chicago TV history.

DaveG

Those were really neat to see again!  I have always loved the weather and I watched you at the other station and followed you here as did all of my family.  You helped make this station what it is today and that is awesome!  What a fitting remembrance of your beautiful loving dog.

Dave G
Was Harry Volkman the guy who would throw his stool through his weather map? I think he was on WLS TV.  

Well, it definitely was a clever marketing strategy, and also a good way to get around contractual issues...it was widely reported at the time that Gary couldn't appear in the ads due to a non-compete clause in his contract with the other station.

So, let's talk weather, eh? Looks like you guys have reduced the % chance of rain for tomorrow morning.

I thought Brett had gone down to 40% rain tomorrow when I saw it this morning, but the website says 60%...?

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Rdub,

I think we will be taking the rain chance down even below 40% for Thursday.  This weather pattern for the next three days is quite interesting, and looking differently with each computer model run.  It now appears Thursday mornings rain threat is shifting into Friday morning, and then unfortunately, Saturday could have an MCS, hopefully in the morning before all of the holiday activities get going.  As I said it is changing and evolving, so let's see what we decide later today on our weathercasts.  I will try to do another full blog later this afternoon.

Gary

Gary, Congratulations on 10 years. I've always been a fan since you been in kc!!!! Keep up the good work! I miss Windy too!!! Hopefully it rains saturday morning so the fire danger can be low for saturday evening fireworks.

These MCSs can be so hard to time and predict...but it would be nice to get a good rain and wet down some yards and roofs before the fireworks go off...

Wow, I remember being nine and seeing those promos on tv back a million years ago.  lol.  Big congratulations on ten years Gary!

I hope when we fly back i can take some pictures of the cloudsd and ground from abouve, they were really neat taking off neat KCI!

We are taking the twins to their very first MLB game on Saturday. I really hope it isn't raining then. The game starts at noon, so I am hoping that that timing will be between any rain that could happen in the morning and then later in the afternoon. I remember a few weeks ago Gary saying that thunderstorms around noon were very usually, here's to hoping that holds up!!  Hard enough to get 3 years olds to sit for more than a few innings, we don't want a rain delay too!

DaveG -- yeah, I sure remember Harry Volkman. He was wonderful, a really pleasant guy.  I'm also old enough to remember P.J. Hoff, a jolly roly-poly bald man who combined vaudeville type comedy with the forecast. In really hot weather, he'd do the forecast in his swimming trunks and the crew would be throwing buckets of water on him. I guess if I had been adult, I'd think he was annoying, but I was just a kid then.

Tina

I could see the morning guy on channel 4 doing a P.J. Hoff for some reason.

Hey Gary, which direction would the MCS be coming from this weekend, if it doesn't happen sooner? I'm going down to Wichita over the weekend and want to avoid it if I can.

Gary, Can you give us a detailed forecast for the next couple of days. Perhaps what needs to set up for it to rain and why you see the rain for thursday diminishing
Do you have a sense if the rain will be to the north, or south?
we are pretty dry in Pleasant Hill. Nothing measurable for about 11days now.
Very frustrating. Watering the gardens from the pond with a pump now. We need some relief. We rely on your forecasts to help us plan our water "budget" out of the pond cause when it's gone, "It's gone!" and we're up a creek--at least a dry creek!

Finally caved in to see the promos.  I don't remember them, but interesting marketing indeed.

I am watching the ridge to see where it goes.  It will define what happens this weekend.  So far so good...  For the sake of my young ones, I hope the rain doesn't mess it all up.

Still eying the setup shown on the lrc blog...kinda like waiting for an old friend to show up as we have been casually talking about it since it happened last time in May...

Dwight..there is some hope before the ring of fire...

Ring of fire..speaking of which, how can I resist the following?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lhf9U5Wf3Q

It is fun to listen while looking at this...

http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/nwprod/analysis/namer/gfs/12/images/gfs_500_348l.gif
http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/nwprod/analysis/namer/gfs/12/images/gfs_850_372l.gif

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