Fox 4's Meteorologist Don Harman Dead at 41'Video (STORY)+BIO

Has died, as a result of an apparent suicide.

Don Harman, the fun-loving weathercaster and personality on Kansas City’s most popular morning show, has died.

Don Harman was beloved all over Kansas City — please leave your condolences and memories here in the comments of this story.
Don’s family has set up a memorial fund that will benefit local Kansas City charities. If you’d like to make a donation, the information is below:
Don Harman Memorial Fund
Benefiting local Kansas City Charities
c/o Tightwad Bank
1160 SE Highway 7
Tightwad, Missouri 64735

Harman, a 41-year-old native of Ohio, was hired by WDAF “Fox 4” in 1999 to replace Gary Lezak and quickly became part of a high-spirited team that was No. 1 in the ratings for years.

Fans were grieving reports of his death Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, even as station officials at WDAF/Fox 4 struggled to balance the online outpouring of sympathy with their journalistic obligation to wait until the next of kin — in this case Harman’s father — could be notified.

Harman’s close friend and morning show co-host Mark Alford looked shell-shocked as he read the announcement at 4:45 a.m. asking for patience from viewers who were bombarding the station’s switchboard and posting messages to social media. The announcement was repeated through Fox 4’s morning newscast.

“We know a lot of you out there have questions about what’s going on. We do appreciate your concerns. We consider you our friends,” Alford said.

His co-anchor Loren Halifax continued: “We do ask you, though, to remember that family comes first. And we are honoring that.”

The station confirmed Harman’s death on-air during its noon news today. Kathy Quinn read from the announcement: “To all of us Don was like family and the news comes as a great shock to all the people he worked with at Fox 4.”

Don Harman has been meteorologist for FOX 4 News from 5:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. since April 1999. He helps Kansas Citians prepare for their day by providing accurate up-to-the-minute weather forecasts each weekday morning. Don has more than 15 years of broadcasting experience, including the “Superstorm” of 1993, and the Kansas City tornado outbreak of May 2003.

At a very young age, Don became interested in weather and how it impacts people’s daily lives. Growing up in Ohio along the Ohio River, Don was witness to various extreme weather events. He remembers one winter in the late 70’s when forceful blizzards blew through the East Coast. That’s when Don knew weather would be an important part of his future.

After graduating from Miami of Ohio with a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautics and a minor in geography, Don began working in television as meteorologist for WTAP-TV in Parkersburg, West Virginia. In 1994, Don moved to Mason City, Iowa where he served as the morning and noon meteorologist at KIMT-TV, eventually becoming the station’s chief meteorologist. Don was the morning and noon meteorologist at WOWK-TV in Huntington, West Virginia before joining Fox 4.

Don is a member of the American Meteorologist Society (AMS) and was awarded the AMS and Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) Seals of Approval. The award is given to broadcast meteorologists who display an excellence in presenting their weather programs to viewers in a manner that enhances the science of meteorology.

Throughout his years in television, Don has played an active role in the communities in which he worked. He has a passion for educating children about science and enjoys teaching them about weather with his Doppler Don segments. In 2001, he was nominated for an Emmy and was a Missouri Broadcast Award winner for his educational childrens’ reports as Doppler Don. The best part of teaching weather for Don is seeing the kids’ eyes light up when they realize science can be fun.

When he's not forecasting the weather or working with children, Don enjoys spending time outdoors. His favorite activities include hiking, camping, and skiing. Don, his wife, Monica, and their daughter, Avery, live in Kansas City, Mo.