Table of Contents
Lonnie Quinn (American Meteorologist)
Lonnie Quinn’s salary places him among the most well-compensated meteorologists in American television — a recognition that reflects both his decades of on-air excellence and his standing as one of New York City’s most trusted weather voices. As the chief weathercaster at CBS2 News (WCBS-TV), Quinn anchors the 5, 6, and 11 p.m. weekday forecasts, making him a familiar face to millions of viewers across the New York metropolitan area.
Born Lonnie William Quinn on August 9, 1963, in Cheshire, Connecticut, he built his career through persistence, versatility, and an unmistakable passion for storytelling. Before becoming a respected meteorologist, Quinn worked as a professional actor, appearing on ABC’s All My Children and NBC’s Santa Barbara — an experience that sharpened the on-screen confidence audiences now associate with his broadcasts. He eventually transitioned into journalism, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications from Boston College with Magna Cum Laude honors, before obtaining a meteorology certification from the Federal Aviation Administration.
His credibility in the field is backed by numbers. Quinn has received 14 Emmy Awards throughout his career, including multiple wins for Best Weather Anchor — a record that speaks to consistent excellence, not occasional recognition. He is also a private pilot and flew with the Hurricane Hunters, collecting live data from inside a Category 5 hurricane off the coast of North Carolina.
This article covers everything readers want to know about Lonnie Quinn — his career journey, his role at CBS2 News, his salary and net worth estimates, and his personal life. All figures and facts presented here are drawn from publicly available and verified sources.
| Full Name | Lonnie William Quinn |
| Date of Birth | August 9, 1963 |
| Place of Birth | Cheshire, Connecticut, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian (White) |
| Profession | Meteorologist, Television News Anchor, Former Actor |
| Employer | WCBS-TV (CBS2 News), New York City |
| Education | Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications, Boston College — Magna Cum Laude |
| Professional Certification | Meteorology Certificate — Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); Private Pilot License |
| Career Start | WVIR-TV, Charlottesville, Virginia (cameraman, then reporter and weekend weather anchor) |
| Current Role | Chief Weathercaster — CBS2 News at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. weekdays; National Weather Anchor — CBS Saturday Morning |
| Notable Coverage | 2005 Hurricane Season (with Max Mayfield, National Hurricane Center); Hurricane Isabel (flew with Hurricane Hunters); Hurricane Irene |
| Acting Credits | ABC’s All My Children (Will Cooney, 1988–1990); NBC’s Santa Barbara (Rich Landers); Elementary; In a Moment of Passion |
| Marital Status | Married to Sharon Quinn (January 13, 2007) |
| Children | Nate Quinn (son, from previous relationship); Lily Quinn (daughter, born 2012); Savannah Quinn (daughter) |
| Awards | 14-time Emmy Award winner including Best Weather Anchor (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015) |
| Estimated Salary | $200,000 – $400,000 annually (estimated; not officially confirmed) |
| Estimated Net Worth | $1 million – $5 million (estimated; not officially confirmed) |
| Siblings | Six brothers and sisters (names not publicly available) |
| Residence | Westport, Connecticut, United States |
Who is Lonnie Quinn?
Lonnie Quinn is an American meteorologist and 14-time Emmy Award winner serving as chief weathercaster at CBS2 News (WCBS-TV) in New York City. Born on August 9, 1963, in Cheshire, Connecticut, he joined CBS2 in 2007 and anchors the 5, 6, and 11 p.m. weekday forecasts.
Early Life and Education
Lonnie Quinn was born on August 9, 1963, in Cheshire, Connecticut — a small New England town that shaped the early years of one of American television’s most recognized weather broadcasters. Long before his name became associated with CBS2 News and Emmy Award wins, Quinn was simply a boy from Connecticut with six brothers and sisters, growing up in a large family household.
His parents’ names have never been shared publicly, and Quinn has consistently kept details of his upbringing away from media attention. What is known is that he developed an early curiosity about weather, science, and communication — interests that would eventually define his entire professional life.
Childhood and Family Background
Lonnie William Quinn is the full legal name of the meteorologist currently serving as chief weathercaster at WCBS-TV in New York City. He was raised in Cheshire, Connecticut, alongside six siblings, though none of their names have been confirmed in public records or verified media sources.
Quinn holds American nationality. His ethnicity is Caucasian. Despite his high public profile, he has maintained a clear boundary between his professional life and his family origins. As noted across multiple verified biographical sources, no information about his parents — their names, professions, or backgrounds — is publicly available.
Growing up in a large family in a close-knit Connecticut community, Quinn is reported to have been naturally drawn to communication and performance from an early age. That instinct would later guide him toward both acting and broadcasting — two careers he would pursue with notable success.
Educational Journey
Quinn attended Boston College, one of the United States’ respected Jesuit research universities located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communications, earning the academic distinction of Magna Cum Laude — a recognition reserved for students who graduate with high academic honors.
During his time at Boston College, Quinn was also a competitive swimmer, representing the college on its swimming team. This detail, confirmed by multiple biographical sources, reflects a disciplined and driven side of his character that would later define his broadcast career.
Following his undergraduate education, Quinn pursued professional certification in meteorology through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He also earned a private pilot’s license — a credential that would later prove directly relevant when he flew with the Hurricane Hunters, collecting weather data from inside an active Category 5 hurricane off the North Carolina coast.
His academic and professional training combined gave him a strong foundation: communication skills from Boston College, scientific credibility from his FAA certification, and real-world field experience from his hurricane work.
Lonnie Quinn Career Journey
Lonnie Quinn’s career is one of the more unusual paths in American broadcast journalism. He did not begin in a newsroom. He began on a television soundstage, performing scripted dialogue under studio lights as a professional actor. That foundation — learning to communicate naturally in front of a camera, to hold an audience’s attention, and to deliver information with clarity — proved to be exactly the training a future meteorologist needed. Over the following decades, Quinn transformed that early experience into one of the most decorated careers in New York television weather broadcasting.
Early Career — Acting Roots and First Newsroom Steps
Lonnie Quinn began his professional career as a television actor. He is best known from that period for originating the role of Will Cooney on ABC’s long-running daytime drama All My Children, a role he held for approximately two years. He also appeared on NBC’s Santa Barbara, playing the character Rich Landers. His acting work earned him a nomination for the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Male Newcomer in Daytime television — a recognition that confirmed his talent in front of the camera.
However, Quinn made a deliberate decision to leave acting and pursue broadcast journalism. His first newsroom position was at WVIR-TV in Charlottesville, Virginia. He joined the station initially as a cameraman — a ground-level entry point that gave him a working understanding of how television news is produced. He was promoted relatively quickly, eventually reporting and anchoring weekend weathercasts. During his time in Charlottesville, Quinn covered substantive news stories, including reporting connected to the Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings historical controversy — demonstrating early that he was capable of serious journalism, not just performance.
From Virginia, Quinn moved through several stations including WADA-LP, WQMZ-FM, and WVAO before making a significant career move to Miami, Florida, where he joined WTVJ — the NBC owned-and-operated station serving South Florida.
Miami Years — Hurricane Coverage and Rising Profile
Quinn’s time at WTVJ in Miami marked the turning point in his meteorological career. He served as weather anchor on Today in South Florida and spent five years at the station building both his forecasting skills and his on-air reputation. Miami’s weather environment — volatile, hurricane-prone, and closely watched by millions — demanded a meteorologist who could communicate urgency without creating panic. Quinn developed precisely that ability.
His most significant work during this period came during one of the most active hurricane seasons in recorded American history. Quinn worked directly alongside Max Mayfield, the former director of the National Hurricane Center, tracking multiple major storms as they threatened the Gulf Coast and Florida peninsula. That collaboration gave Quinn access to some of the most advanced meteorological data and expertise available anywhere in the country.
In a defining moment of his Miami career, Quinn joined the Hurricane Hunters — a specialized aircrew that flies directly into active hurricanes to collect meteorological data. He flew through the eye of Hurricane Isabel, a Category 5 storm, off the coast of North Carolina. That experience, confirmed by multiple verified sources including Wikipedia, established Quinn as a meteorologist willing to pursue weather science at its most demanding level.
His work in Miami also earned him an Emmy Award for Best On-Air Talent — his first Emmy, and a signal of the recognition that would follow throughout his career.
CBS2 New York — Current Role and National Presence
Quinn joined CBS2 in April 2007, taking over as the station’s lead weather anchor at WCBS-TV in New York City. He replaced John Bolaris, who moved to weekends only to finish out his contract. In New York — the largest and most competitive television market in the United States — Quinn quickly established himself as a trusted and engaging broadcaster. He currently serves as chief weathercaster for CBS2 News, anchoring the weekday 5, 6, and 11 p.m. forecasts. He also appears as the national weather anchor for CBS Saturday Morning, extending his reach to a nationwide audience every weekend.
According to his official CBS broadcaster profile and confirmed by Wikipedia, Quinn has contributed weather segments to the CBS Evening News and previously made regular appearances on sister radio station WCBS-AM 880, until that station went silent. His coverage of major weather events — including Hurricane Irene, which multiple sources describe as among the finest storm coverage of his career — has reinforced his reputation as one of New York’s most capable and reliable meteorologists.
Major Achievements and Awards
Quinn has received 14 Emmy Awards, including several for Best Weather Anchor. His verified Emmy wins for Best Weather Anchor include awards in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015 — five wins in that single category alone across a six-year period, reflecting sustained excellence rather than a single standout performance. Primes Magazine
Beyond the Emmy record, Quinn holds a meteorology certification from the Federal Aviation Administration and a private pilot’s license. These credentials are not ceremonial. They reflect hands-on scientific training that directly informs the accuracy and depth of his forecasting. His experience flying with the Hurricane Hunters, working alongside the National Hurricane Center, and personally tracking Category 5 storm systems places him in a small group of broadcast meteorologists with genuine field credentials alongside their on-air experience.
His career arc — from soap opera actor to 14-time Emmy Award-winning chief meteorologist in the number one television market in America — remains one of the more compelling professional stories in modern broadcast journalism.
Lonnie Quinn Salary and Net Worth
Understanding Lonnie Quinn’s salary requires context. New York City is the largest television market in the United States. Lead meteorologists and chief weather anchors at major network affiliates in that market command compensation that reflects both the audience size and the level of experience required. Quinn brings over three decades of broadcasting experience, 14 Emmy Awards, and a recognized national profile to his role at CBS2 — all factors that influence what a station of WCBS-TV’s standing would offer a senior anchor of his caliber.
These figures are estimates based on publicly available information and should not be treated as confirmed data.
Lonnie Quinn Salary Details
These figures are estimates based on publicly available information. Neither Lonnie Quinn nor CBS has officially confirmed any specific salary figure. Lonnie Quinn’s salary is estimated by multiple entertainment and media biography sources to fall between $200,000 and $400,000 per year. This range is consistent with compensation levels reported for lead meteorologists and chief weather anchors at major network affiliates operating in top-tier American television markets.
His income is not limited to a single source. Quinn’s earnings are drawn from his primary role as chief weathercaster at WCBS-TV, his national weather anchor position on CBS Saturday Morning, periodic contributions to CBS Evening News broadcasts, and various public appearances connected to his professional profile. This diversified income structure is typical for senior broadcast journalists who have built a recognizable personal brand alongside their station role.
It is worth noting that salary estimates for television anchors vary significantly across sources. The figures cited here represent the most consistent range found across credible biographical and media industry sources. Exact contract terms between Quinn and CBS remain private and have never been disclosed publicly.
Lonnie Quinn Net Worth Estimate
These figures are estimates based on publicly available information. No official confirmation exists from Lonnie Quinn or any affiliated party. Lonnie Quinn’s net worth is estimated to fall between $1 million and $5 million, accumulated across a professional career spanning more than three decades. That career has included two distinct income-generating phases — his earlier years as a professional television actor, during which he appeared in network dramas and earned residual income from those appearances, and his long-running career as one of New York’s leading broadcast meteorologists.
His tenure at WCBS-TV alone spans well over fifteen years, during which he has held a senior anchor position at one of America’s most prominent local television stations. Long-term employment at that level, combined with national exposure through CBS Saturday Morning and the CBS Evening News, contributes meaningfully to financial stability and accumulated earnings over time.
As reported across multiple verified biographical sources, Quinn’s net worth estimate of $3 million appears most frequently as a midpoint figure — though the broader range of $1 million to $5 million reflects the natural uncertainty that exists when exact salary and contract data are not publicly available. Readers should treat all net worth figures as informed estimates, not confirmed facts.
Personal Life and Family
Behind the broadcast desk and the Emmy Awards, Lonnie Quinn is a husband, a father of three, and a private individual who has consistently chosen to keep his personal life separate from his public profile. That boundary is deliberate. Despite decades of daily television exposure to millions of New York viewers, Quinn has shared relatively little about his family in interviews or public statements. What is known comes from verified biographical sources, his official broadcaster profile, and confirmed public records.
Marriage — Lonnie Quinn and Wife Sharon Quinn
Lonnie Quinn is married to Sharon Quinn. The couple wed on January 13, 2007 — the same year Quinn joined CBS2 News in New York City, making it a personally significant period in his life on multiple levels. The marriage has been confirmed across multiple verified sources including IMDb, Wikipedia, and established entertainment biography platforms.
Sharon Quinn has maintained an entirely private profile. Her professional background, nationality, and personal history have never been disclosed in any verified public source. Quinn has not spoken extensively about his wife in media interviews, and no confirmed biographical details about Sharon are available beyond her name and their marriage date.
The couple currently resides in Westport, Connecticut — a coastal town located approximately an hour from New York City. Westport is a well-established community with a long history of attracting media and entertainment professionals working in the New York metropolitan area. The choice of Westport reflects a lifestyle that balances professional demands in the city with family life outside it.
Children — Nate, Lily, and Savannah Quinn
Lonnie Quinn is the father of three children — one son and two daughters — from two separate relationships. His son, Nate Quinn, was born from a previous relationship before Quinn’s marriage to Sharon. Nate is the eldest of Quinn’s three children. According to verified biographical sources, Nate previously attended The Bronx High School of Science — one of New York City’s most academically competitive specialized public high schools, admission to which requires passing a rigorous entrance examination. Nate subsequently went on to study at Cornell University, an Ivy League institution located in Ithaca, New York. These details have been confirmed across multiple reliable sources and reflect a young man raised with clear academic ambition.
Quinn and Sharon Quinn are parents to two daughters together. Their elder daughter, Lily Quinn, was born in 2012, as confirmed by biographical sources that covered the birth at the time. Their younger daughter, Savannah Quinn, was born approximately three years after Lily, though her exact birth date has not been confirmed in any verified public source.
Quinn has occasionally shared photographs of his children on his public platforms, offering viewers brief glimpses into family life without revealing personal details. All three children have otherwise been kept away from media attention, consistent with Quinn’s broader approach to privacy.
Personal Interests and Life Outside Broadcasting
While Lonnie Quinn is best known for his work in front of the camera, his professional credentials reveal a person whose interests extend well beyond the television studio. Quinn is a certified private pilot — a qualification issued through the Federal Aviation Administration that requires significant training, examination, and demonstrated flying competency. That license is not a ceremonial distinction. It is the same certification held by recreational and professional aviators across the United States. For Quinn, it directly informed one of the most significant moments of his career — flying with the Hurricane Hunters through the eye of an active Category 5 hurricane off the North Carolina coast to collect live meteorological data.
His FAA meteorology certification similarly reflects a commitment to genuine scientific understanding of weather systems, not simply the ability to present a forecast attractively on television. Taken together, these credentials paint a picture of a broadcaster who treats meteorology as a discipline to be studied and practiced seriously, not merely performed.
Beyond aviation and weather science, Quinn is known to have maintained an active interest in athletics. He competed on the Boston College swimming team during his undergraduate years — a sport that demands discipline, physical conditioning, and the ability to perform consistently under pressure. Those qualities, formed early, appear to have carried through every phase of his professional life.
FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About Lonnie Quinn
Key questions answered about the CBS2 chief meteorologist and Emmy Award winner
Born Lonnie William Quinn on August 9, 1963, in Cheshire, Connecticut, he joined CBS2 in April 2007 and currently anchors the weekday 5, 6, and 11 p.m. forecasts. He also serves as the national weather anchor for CBS Saturday Morning. Before his meteorology career, Quinn worked as a professional television actor, appearing on ABC's All My Children and NBC's Santa Barbara.
As chief weathercaster at WCBS-TV — one of the most prominent stations in the largest television market in the United States — Quinn's compensation reflects his senior role, 14 Emmy Awards, and over three decades of broadcasting experience. This figure has not been officially confirmed by Lonnie Quinn or CBS. His income also includes contributions from CBS Saturday Morning, CBS Evening News appearances, and public engagements.
His wealth reflects earnings from two professional phases — an early television acting career including roles on ABC's All My Children and NBC's Santa Barbara, and a long-running career as one of New York's most recognized broadcast meteorologists. A midpoint estimate of $3 million appears most frequently across verified biographical sources. All figures are third-party estimates only and have not been officially confirmed.
Sharon Quinn has maintained an entirely private profile and no verified biographical details about her — including her professional background or personal history — are publicly available beyond her name and marriage date. The couple currently resides in Westport, Connecticut, and together they are parents to daughters Lily Quinn and Savannah Quinn. Quinn also has a son named Nate from a previous relationship.
His verified Best Weather Anchor Emmy wins include awards in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015 — five wins in that single category across a six-year period. He also won a Best On-Air Talent Emmy during his time as weather anchor at WTVJ (NBC6) in Miami, Florida. His 14-Emmy record places him among the most decorated broadcast meteorologists in New York television history.
He anchors the weekday 5, 6, and 11 p.m. weather forecasts and also serves as the national weather anchor for CBS Saturday Morning — a role that gives him a nationwide audience every weekend. He joined CBS2 in April 2007 after five years as weather anchor at WTVJ (NBC6) in Miami, Florida. He has also contributed weather segments to the CBS Evening News.
During his time at Boston College, Quinn competed as a member of the college swimming team. Following his undergraduate degree, he obtained a meteorology certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and earned a private pilot's license — credentials that later proved directly relevant when he flew with the Hurricane Hunters through the eye of an active Category 5 hurricane off the coast of North Carolina.
His son Nate, from a previous relationship, previously attended The Bronx High School of Science and later studied at Cornell University. Quinn and his wife Sharon have two daughters together: Lily Quinn, born in 2012, and Savannah Quinn, whose exact birth date has not been confirmed in any verified public source. Quinn has occasionally shared family photographs publicly but has otherwise kept his children away from media attention.
Gallery
