Today is a sad day for TV weather fans in North Carolina. Legendary TV weatherman Frank Deal, who delivered nightly forecasts on WGHP in High Point for 27 years, passed away peacefully early this morning, after a battle with Alzheimer's disease.

For obvious reasons, many weather enthusiasts have a special connection with their local TV meteorologists. I think there's a connection between people who enjoy and are fascinated by the weather and those we see on TV with that same enjoyment. I was no different. I grew up on the other side of Winston-Salem, and watching Frank was a regular thing in our household. In addition to being an accomplished forecaster, he was always a showman, and he was known for telling a joke every night during the weathercast. You knew it was coming because he started it the same way every time: "Our man in…" He'd rattle off one of the towns in the Triad area -- usually one of the smaller ones -- then he'd crack off one of his trademark jokes.

Behind the jokes, though, Frank took his forecasting seriously. He was not a meteorologist by training, but he spent countless hours studying meteorology with meteorologists at the National Weather Service, and he earned the American Meteorological Society's Seal of Approval. But he was always a showman, and his weathercasts were always fun to watch. His successor at WGHP, Van Denton, shared a couple of stories about Frank over on his blog. Stewart Pittman, photojournalist at WGHP, also shared {{a href=”external_link-3”}}his thoughts on Frank’s role in the “golden age in television.”{{/a}}

Memory eternal, Frank!