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Kristen Kirchhaine (American Meteorologist)
Kristen Kirchhaine is an American broadcast meteorologist whose professional career encompasses roles as a weather anchor, weekday reporter, and certified forecaster across multiple television markets in the United States. Born in 1985 and raised in western Michigan, Kirchhaine built her broadcast credentials over more than fifteen years, working at stations in Montana, Indiana, Florida, Illinois, and Wisconsin before establishing her longest continuous tenure in the Milwaukee media market.
Kirchhaine holds two undergraduate degrees. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Radio, Television, and Film from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and a Bachelor of Science in Geosciences through the Broadcast Meteorology Program at Mississippi State University. In addition to her academic credentials, she holds the National Weather Association (NWA) Seal of Approval — a professional certification that distinguishes her as a qualified broadcast meteorologist.
Her early career took her through several regional markets. She held the role of Chief Forecaster at KULR 8 News in Billings, Montana, and Chief Meteorologist at WFFT News in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In Fort Myers, Florida, she spent three years at WBBH News, where her work included tracking Hurricane Irma toward its Southwest Florida landfall in 2017 and flying with the Hurricane Hunters during the development of Hurricane Hermine in 2016.
In April 2020, Kirchhaine joined Storm Team 4 at TMJ4 News — the NBC affiliate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin — as weekend evening weather anchor and weekday reporter. She held that position for over five years before her departure in July 2025. Following her exit from TMJ4, Kirchhaine and her husband Brad relocated to the Chicago area, where she took on freelance meteorology work at WMAQ, the NBC affiliate in Chicago. In July 2026, WISN-TV — the ABC affiliate in Milwaukee, known as Channel 12 — announced her return to Southeast Wisconsin. Kirchhaine began her duties as weekend evening meteorologist at WISN-12 in August 2026.
On the personal side, Kirchhaine is married to her husband Brad. The couple wed in Punta Gorda, Florida, in a ceremony attended by friends and family who traveled from across the country. They share their home with two cats named Meesa and Friday.
| Full Name | Kristen Kirchhaine |
| Date of Birth | Born 1985 (exact date not publicly confirmed) |
| Place of Birth | Western Michigan, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Meteorologist, Broadcast Journalist, Weather Anchor |
| Education | B.A. in Radio, Television & Film — University of Arkansas at Little Rock; B.S. in Geosciences + Broadcast Meteorology Certification — Mississippi State University |
| Certification | National Weather Association (NWA) Seal of Approval |
| Career Start | Chief Forecaster — KULR 8 News, Billings, Montana |
| Former Station | TMJ4 News (WTMJ-TV), Milwaukee, Wisconsin — April 2020 to July 2025 |
| Current Station | WISN-TV (ABC Channel 12), Milwaukee, Wisconsin — from August 2026 |
| Notable Coverage | Hurricane Hermine (2016) — flew with Hurricane Hunters; Hurricane Irma (2017) — landfall tracking, Southwest Florida; Southeast Wisconsin severe weather and lake-effect storms |
| Marital Status | Married to Brad (last name not publicly disclosed); wedding held at First United Methodist Church, Punta Gorda, Florida |
| Children | Not publicly confirmed |
| Pets | Two cats — Meesa and Friday |
| Estimated Salary | $74,000 – $150,000 annually (estimated; not officially confirmed) |
| Estimated Net Worth | Not officially confirmed (third-party estimates vary) |
| Siblings | Not publicly available |
| Parents | Not publicly available |
Who is Kristen Kirchhaine?
Kristen Kirchhaine is an American broadcast meteorologist best known for her work as weekend evening weather anchor at TMJ4 News in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she served from April 2020 to July 2025. She holds two bachelor’s degrees and the National Weather Association Seal of Approval. As of August 2026, she serves as weekend evening meteorologist at WISN-TV (ABC Channel 12) in Milwaukee.
Early Life and Education
Kristen Kirchhaine spent her childhood and formative years in western Michigan, a region situated along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. The area’s geography places it directly in the path of lake-effect weather systems — patterns responsible for heavy snowfall, rapid temperature shifts, and unpredictable atmospheric conditions throughout the year.
No verified public records document the names of her parents or whether she has any siblings. Kirchhaine has maintained that boundary consistently throughout her public career, and no confirmed information on her immediate family background has been made available.
Education and Academic Background
After her years in Michigan, Kirchhaine relocated to Arkansas to begin her undergraduate education. She enrolled at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where her coursework focused on Radio, Television, and Film — a program grounded in broadcast communication. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from that program, and academic records indicate she received a departmental award for the highest cumulative grade point average among her graduating class, though this detail has not been independently confirmed through a second source and should be treated as reported rather than fully verified.
Her undergraduate experience in broadcast journalism led her toward a specific professional direction. An internship in radio and then television weather forecasting pointed her toward meteorology as a field, and she returned to formal education to pursue that path. She enrolled in the Broadcast Meteorology Program at Mississippi State University — one of the most established programs of its kind in the United States.
At Mississippi State, she completed a full second undergraduate degree, earning a Bachelor of Science in Geosciences alongside a Broadcast Meteorology Certification.
Following the completion of her academic work at Mississippi State, Kirchhaine earned the National Weather Association (NWA) Seal of Approval. This credential, issued by the National Weather Association, recognizes broadcast meteorologists who meet a defined set of professional and scientific standards in weather communication. Several third-party biographical sources have listed this credential incorrectly as the AMS Seal of Approval — the verified and correct designation is the NWA Seal of Approval.
With two undergraduate degrees and a professional certification in hand, Kirchhaine entered the broadcast meteorology field and began building her career market by market across the United States.
Career
Kirchhaine’s broadcast meteorology career began in Billings, Montana, where she held the position of Chief Forecaster at KULR 8 News. The Montana market presented conditions that tested foundational forecasting skills — extreme cold, blizzard systems, and rapid atmospheric changes across a wide geographic area.
From Billings, her career path moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where she took on the role of Chief Meteorologist at WFFT News. That role placed her at the head of a local weather operation, responsible for forecast accuracy and on-air delivery for a FOX affiliate audience in the northern Indiana region. These two early positions established the operational foundation on which the rest of her broadcast career developed.
Fort Myers, Florida — Hurricane Coverage
From Indiana, Kirchhaine relocated to Fort Myers, Florida, where she held a meteorologist position at WBBH News for three years. The Gulf Coast environment brought a different category of forecasting challenges — afternoon convective storms, tropical moisture, and active hurricane seasons. Two events from this period stand out in her professional record.
In 2016, Kirchhaine had the opportunity to fly aboard a Hurricane Hunter aircraft during the development of Hurricane Hermine. Hurricane Hunter flights go directly into active tropical systems to gather atmospheric data, and participation in such a flight represents a documented professional experience that relatively few broadcast meteorologists accumulate.
In 2017, she worked alongside her colleagues at WBBH to track Hurricane Irma as the storm approached and made landfall in Southwest Florida. Irma’s 2017 landfall ranked among the most closely monitored tropical events in Florida’s recent meteorological record, and Kirchhaine’s team covered it through its full approach and impact.
Chicago and NBC 5
After her time in Fort Myers, Kirchhaine moved to Chicago, Illinois, where she took on a fill-in meteorologist role at WMAQ, the NBC affiliate in Chicago known as NBC 5. During the same period, she held a full-time position as a video and social media producer for a non-profit organization in the Chicago area.
These two roles ran in parallel — broadcast meteorology on a fill-in basis alongside a full-time production role outside the traditional news structure. Her work at WMAQ NBC Chicago spanned nearly five years before she transitioned to a permanent full-time forecasting position in Wisconsin.
TMJ4 Milwaukee — Storm Team 4
In April 2020, Kirchhaine joined Storm Team 4 at TMJ4 News — identified by the FCC as WTMJ-TV — the NBC affiliate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her role at TMJ4 encompassed weekend evening weather anchor duties alongside weekday reporter responsibilities.
The Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin market brought a distinct set of weather patterns, including lake-effect snowfall driven by Lake Michigan, severe spring storm systems, and weather events that required on-air coverage with short preparation windows. Kirchhaine held her position at TMJ4 for five years and three months before her departure from the station in July 2025.
Kristen Kirchhaine Leaving TMJ4
Kirchhaine’s departure from TMJ4 finalized in July 2025. Public statements made through her professional profile indicated that she and her husband Brad relocated to the Chicago area following the end of her TMJ4 contract. Her stated reason for leaving described a decision to step away from local news and explore other professional opportunities — a voluntary transition, not a termination.
After returning to Chicago, she took on freelance meteorology work at WMAQ, the same NBC Chicago affiliate where she had previously worked on a fill-in basis. No full-time role at WMAQ was publicly announced during this period.
Kristen Kirchhaine and WISN-12
On July 8, 2026, WISN-TV — the ABC affiliate in Milwaukee identified as Channel 12 — released an official announcement confirming Kirchhaine’s addition to its weather team. The announcement named her role as weekend evening meteorologist, with her broadcast duties scheduled to begin on August 3, 2026.
In the station’s official statement, WISN President and General Manager Shawn Oswald described her Milwaukee forecasting background as a direct qualification for the role: “Kristen’s deep experience forecasting in Milwaukee makes her a tremendous addition to our weather team.” Kirchhaine’s own statement in the same announcement noted her return to Southeast Wisconsin as a development she described as something she felt enthusiasm about, with a specific reference to forecasting conditions in Wisconsin.
At WISN-12, she joined weekend newscasts anchored by Kendall Keys, with the weather team also including Chief Meteorologist Mark Baden and weekday morning meteorologist Jason Dunning.
Kristen Kirchhaine Salary and Net Worth
No official compensation figures for Kristen Kirchhaine have been disclosed through any primary or verified institutional source. Her salary and net worth data points available in the public domain derive exclusively from third-party biographical aggregators and industry benchmark references, none of which carry confirmation from Kirchhaine personally or from any station that employed her.
Salary Details
No official salary figure for Kirchhaine has been publicly disclosed by her, by TMJ4 News, by WISN-TV, or by any verified station record. The figures cited across various biographical reference sources draw from industry benchmarks rather than confirmed contractual data.
Based on publicly available salary data for broadcast meteorologists at mid-market NBC and ABC affiliates in the Midwest, estimated annual earnings for a role comparable to hers at TMJ4 News in Milwaukee fall in the range of $74,000 to $150,000. This range reflects industry-standard compensation at stations operating in markets of similar size and audience reach to the Milwaukee, Wisconsin media market. These figures are estimates based on publicly available information and have not been confirmed by Kirchhaine or any station she worked at.
Her broadcast career spanned positions across Montana, Indiana, Florida, Illinois, and Wisconsin between her entry into the field and her move to WISN-TV in August 2026 — a timeline that extended beyond fifteen years of professional television work. Compensation at each individual station where she held a role has not been separately published or verified.
Net Worth Estimate
Kirchhaine’s net worth has not been confirmed through any official public filing, personal disclosure, or verified financial record. No verified number exists in the public domain.
Third-party biographical websites have published a range of estimated figures, with figures varying between $1 million and $5 million depending on the source. These estimates draw from career length, known stations, and general industry benchmarks rather than any confirmed financial data. These figures are estimates based on publicly available information and should not be treated as verified.
What the public record does document is a broadcast career that included anchor and chief meteorologist roles at multiple stations across different states, running from her first position at KULR 8 News in Billings, Montana through her most recent confirmed role at WISN-TV in Milwaukee — a career arc that covered markets in Montana, Indiana, Florida, Illinois, and Wisconsin across more than fifteen years of continuous professional broadcast work.
Personal Life and Family
Kirchhaine married her husband Brad, whose last name has not been made public, in a ceremony held at the First United Methodist Church in Punta Gorda, Florida. The wedding drew guests who traveled from different parts of the country to attend. Punta Gorda, a coastal city on Florida’s southwest Gulf Coast, served as both the ceremony and reception location.
A documented detail from the wedding relates to the couple’s shared interest in space and NASA. Both Kirchhaine and Brad identified themselves as NASA enthusiasts, and that interest carried into their wedding rings. The dark grey material embedded in both rings came from a meteorite — a piece of space rock that a friend gave to Brad as a gift. The ceremony venue, First United Methodist Church in Punta Gorda, recorded that Kirchhaine personally grew the majority of flowers used as decorations at the wedding.
Brad’s last name has not appeared in any verified public record or announcement connected to Kirchhaine’s career or public profile. No additional biographical information about him has been made available.
Children and Home Life
No public confirmation of children exists in Kirchhaine’s professional record, published interviews, or official station biographies. Her public profile has consistently listed her household as consisting of herself, her husband Brad, and their two cats — named Meesa and Friday.
Outside her broadcast schedule, her documented personal interests include gardening, golf, traveling, volunteering, and preparing vegetarian recipes. These activities appeared across multiple official station biographies published during her time at TMJ4 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. No additional personal details beyond what she chose to include in those public-facing station profiles have been made available.
Parents and Siblings
No verified public information exists regarding Kirchhaine’s parents or siblings. The names of her mother and father have never appeared in any official station announcement, published interview, or verified biographical record connected to her career. Whether she has siblings has also not been confirmed in any publicly available source.
Her upbringing in western Michigan represents the only geographic detail about her early family environment that appears across her public professional record. All other aspects of her family background fall outside what she has chosen to make publicly available, and no verified documentation fills that gap.
Kristen Kirchhaine Height and Physical Appearance
No official measurement for Kristen Kirchhaine’s height appears in any primary source, station biography, or verified public record connected to her name. Third-party biographical references have published conflicting figures, with reported heights ranging from 5 feet 4 inches to 5 feet 6 inches across different sources. Neither figure carries confirmation from Kirchhaine personally or from any station that employed her, and no single measurement can be cited as verified.
Her weight has similarly not been disclosed through any official or primary channel. No verified body measurement data of any kind appears in the confirmed public record.
Her on-air broadcast appearances across WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee, WBBH-TV in Fort Myers, WFFT-TV in Fort Wayne, and WISN-TV in Milwaukee document her physical presentation as a broadcast professional with blonde hair and blue eyes. Those visual characteristics reflect her documented on-air appearance across her television career, which spans more than fifteen years and six markets. No other physical description data meets the verification threshold for encyclopedic inclusion.
Career Timeline
| Station | Location | Role | Period |
| KULR-TV | Billings, Montana | Chief Forecaster | Early career (exact years not publicly confirmed) |
| WFFT-TV | Fort Wayne, Indiana | Chief Meteorologist | Pre-Florida tenure (exact years not publicly confirmed) |
| WBBH-TV | Fort Myers, Florida | Meteorologist | Approximately three years (pre-2020) |
| WMAQ-TV (NBC 5) | Chicago, Illinois | Fill-in Meteorologist + Non-profit Producer (simultaneous) | Approximately five years prior to April 2020 |
| WTMJ-TV (TMJ4) | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Weekend Evening Anchor & Weekday Reporter — Storm Team 4 | April 2020 – July 2025 |
| WMAQ-TV (NBC Chicago) | Chicago, Illinois | Freelance Meteorologist | August 2025 – 2026 |
| WISN-TV (Channel 12) | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Weekend Evening Meteorologist — Weather Watch 12 | August 3, 2026 onward |
Education and Credentials
| Institution | Degree / Credential | Detail |
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock | Bachelor of Arts — Radio, Television, and Film | Minor in Speech Communication; Radio-TV-Film Award for Highest GPA among graduates |
| Mississippi State University | Bachelor of Science — Geosciences | Completed through the Broadcast Meteorology Program; full second undergraduate degree |
| Mississippi State University | Broadcast Meteorology Certification | Program-level certification earned alongside B.S. degree |
| National Weather Association (NWA) | NWA Seal of Approval | Requires written meteorology exam, on-air video evaluation, NWA membership in good standing, and documented professional field experience |
Notable Coverage and Field Assignments
| Year | Event | Role / Detail | Station at Time |
| 2016 | Hurricane Hermine — Development Phase | Flew aboard NOAA Hurricane Hunters aircraft during storm development | WBBH-TV, Fort Myers, Florida |
| 2017 | Hurricane Irma — Southwest Florida Landfall | Tracked storm alongside WBBH-TV colleagues as it approached landfall in Southwest Florida | WBBH-TV, Fort Myers, Florida |
| 2020–2025 | Southeast Wisconsin Severe Weather Coverage | Lake-effect conditions, severe storm systems, extended winter weather — regular coverage responsibilities | WTMJ-TV (TMJ4), Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| 2020–2025 | Milwaukee Community Weather Education | School visits, weather preparedness events, public appearances throughout southeastern Wisconsin | WTMJ-TV (TMJ4), Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| 2026 | WISN-TV Weather Watch 12 — Milwaukee | Weekend evening meteorologist role; Saturday and Sunday broadcast schedule across three newscasts | WISN-TV (Channel 12), Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About Kristen Kirchhaine
Key questions answered about the Milwaukee meteorologist and her public life
She holds two undergraduate degrees — a Bachelor of Arts in Radio, Television and Film from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and a Bachelor of Science in Geosciences from Mississippi State University — along with the National Weather Association (NWA) Seal of Approval. Her broadcast career covered stations in Montana, Indiana, Florida, Illinois, and Wisconsin. In August 2026, she joined WISN-TV (ABC Channel 12) in Milwaukee as weekend evening meteorologist.
Her exact date of birth has not been publicly confirmed. No verified source has published her specific birth date, and Kirchhaine has not shared that information on any official or public-facing platform. Any exact birth date found on third-party biography websites remains unverified and should not be treated as confirmed fact.
The couple married in a ceremony held at the First United Methodist Church in Punta Gorda, Florida. Friends and family traveled from across the country to attend. A notable detail from the wedding: both Kirchhaine and Brad identified themselves as NASA enthusiasts, and both of their wedding rings contained dark grey meteorite material gifted to Brad by a friend. Kirchhaine personally grew most of the flowers used at the ceremony.
The two wed in Punta Gorda, Florida, in a private ceremony attended by close friends and family. Brad's last name has never been publicly shared, and no additional biographical details about him appear in any verified public record connected to Kirchhaine's career.
Her departure from TMJ4 was voluntary. She described the move as a decision to step away from local news to explore other opportunities. In July 2026, WISN-TV (ABC Channel 12) in Milwaukee announced her return to Southeast Wisconsin. Her first on-air day at WISN-12 was August 3, 2026.
The official station announcement came on July 8, 2026. At WISN-12, she joined weekend newscasts alongside anchor Kendall Keys. The weather team at WISN-12 also includes Chief Meteorologist Mark Baden and weekday morning meteorologist Jason Dunning.
Her exit was a voluntary departure, not a termination. She joined TMJ4 in April 2020 as weekend evening weather anchor and weekday reporter. Following her departure, she relocated to Chicago before returning to the Milwaukee market in August 2026 to join WISN-TV (ABC Channel 12).
Photographs from her career at TMJ4 and official station appearances show her with naturally blonde hair. No statement from Kirchhaine, any station she worked at, or any verified public record addresses this question. The claim has no confirmed basis in any documented source.
At the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Radio, Television and Film. After an internship in broadcast weather forecasting pointed her toward meteorology, she enrolled in the Broadcast Meteorology Program at Mississippi State University, where she completed a full second undergraduate degree — a Bachelor of Science in Geosciences — along with a Broadcast Meteorology Certification. She also holds the National Weather Association (NWA) Seal of Approval.
Third-party biographical websites publish varying estimates based on her career length and the number of television markets she worked in. Her broadcast career spanned stations in Montana, Indiana, Florida, Illinois, and Wisconsin across more than fifteen years. No official figure has been publicly disclosed by Kirchhaine or any station she worked at. Any specific number found on third-party websites should be treated as an unverified estimate only.
Based on industry benchmarks for broadcast meteorologists at mid-market NBC and ABC affiliates in the Midwest, estimated annual earnings for a role comparable to hers at TMJ4 News in Milwaukee range from $74,000 to $150,000. This figure is a third-party estimate based on publicly available industry data and has not been confirmed by Kirchhaine or TMJ4 News.
Kirchhaine has never publicly confirmed or discussed having children in any interview, official station biography, or public statement. Her public profiles consistently referenced her household as consisting of herself, her husband Brad, and their two cats — Meesa and Friday. No verified information on this subject exists in the public domain.
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