After 31 years at the Providence, R.I. NBC affiliate WJAR, Gary Ley retired Friday.
According the to the station he went into “‘semi-retirement in 2009,’ working a few newscasts a week and filling in on other shifts.”
Before joining the station as chief meteorologist in 1984, Ley was a forecast on The Weather Channel when it started in 1982.
From 1980 to 1982, Gary was a forecast specialist at the National Weather Service’s National Meteorological Center in Washington, D.C.
Gary was a meteorologist on active duty in the Navy for 10 years, spent 10 years in the Reserves, and is now a retired commander. He also holds the Navy Achievement Medal.
One of the first big tests of Gary’s skills in Southern New England came just a month into his tenure, when Hurricane Gloria hit the coast with a peak wind of 81 mph in Providence and 91 mph in Westerly.
According to Rhode Island Monthly magazine, voters honored Gary with at least 10 “Best Of Rhode Island” awards.