WISN launches search after meteorologist Lindsey Slater’s departure, leaving morning forecasts covered by existing team members

A sudden staffing change on Milwaukee’s ABC affiliate

WISN-TV’s weekday morning weather role is in transition after meteorologist Lindsey Slater left the station in late February 2026. Slater did not appear on the station’s morning newscasts on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, and her biography was removed from the station’s staff listings around the same time. Slater also updated her professional profile to reflect that she is no longer employed by the Milwaukee ABC affiliate.

In an internal message to employees dated Feb. 27, WISN President and General Manager Shawn Oswald said Slater was no longer with the station and that management had begun a search to fill the position. As of early March 2026, no permanent replacement had been publicly announced by the station.

So who is filling Lindsey Slater’s spot right now?

WISN has not identified a single named interim meteorologist as Slater’s one-for-one replacement for the early-morning newscasts. Instead, the station’s existing weather staff has continued producing forecasts across WISN’s programming, including chief meteorologist Mark Baden, who remains a prominent on-air presence for weather coverage. Any day-to-day coverage of the morning weather blocks has not been accompanied by a formal announcement of an interim successor.

Because WISN has not made a staffing announcement assigning the role to a specific meteorologist, the most verifiable description is that the opening remains unfilled on a permanent basis while the station conducts its search.

Slater’s tenure and what the job entails

Slater became WISN’s early morning meteorologist in 2019 after veteran meteorologist Sally Severson reduced her schedule. Slater had joined WISN in 2016 and was part of the weather team for both broadcast and digital coverage. The early-morning role is a high-visibility position in local TV news, built around frequent live updates timed to commute conditions, school schedules, and fast-changing Wisconsin weather.

• Slater joined WISN in June 2016 and moved into the weekday morning slot in 2019.
• Her final on-air appearances occurred before Feb. 27, 2026.
• WISN management has said a replacement search is underway.

What viewers can expect next

Until WISN announces a hire, viewers should expect continued weather coverage led by the station’s current meteorologists, with scheduling adjustments as needed. Stations typically finalize such hires after internal scheduling reviews and candidate interviews, but WISN has not provided a timeline.

WISN has initiated a search to fill the morning meteorologist opening, but has not publicly named a permanent replacement.