One of the more prominent, and colorful, voices among “climate skeptics” was John Coleman, co-founder of The Weather Channel and a broadcast meteorologist with over 60 years of experience. He died January 20.

I count it a privilege to have known John through our joint participation in several of the International Conferences on Climate Change. He was always friendly, jovial, and good humored, even when expressing his firm opinion that dangerous manmade global warming was “the greatest scam in history.”

Broadcast meteorologist Anthony Watts, host of WattsUpWithThat.com, knew John much better than I did, and I cannot improve on his eulogy, which begins:

Forecaster, father, and friend of WUWT, John Coleman, founder of the Weather Channel, passes away

It is with great sadness that I announce this. John Coleman was a true hero of mine, and a great friend. He made gigantic contributions to television, to weather forecasting, and even to the National Weather Service who changed and upgraded many of their methods to accommodate the visionary ideas he had in founding the Weather Channel.

In 1983, Coleman won the American Meteorological Society award for Outstanding Service by a Broadcast Meteorologist. The organization credited Coleman for “his pioneering efforts in establishing a national cable weather channel,” according to the AMS website.

I last saw John Coleman a couple of months ago in Chicago at a gathering of TV meteorologists and climate skeptics. He was as jovial and as witty as ever.

To say “he will be missed”, is an understatement.

Yes, it did. And so did the rest of the world. We extend our sympathy to his widow, Linda.

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