WISN-TV meteorologist Lindsey Slater exits Channel 12, prompting search for replacement on Milwaukee mornings

Lindsey Slater no longer appears on WISN-TV’s roster or newscasts

Milwaukee broadcast meteorologist Lindsey Slater is no longer employed by WISN-TV (Channel 12), the city’s ABC affiliate. The change became visible on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, when Slater did not appear on the station’s morning newscasts and her biography was no longer displayed within the station’s on-air staff lineup.

In an internal message to employees, WISN-TV President and General Manager Shawn Oswald said Slater was “no longer with” the station and that management had begun a search for a replacement. The station did not provide a public explanation for the departure, and personnel transitions in local television are frequently handled without detailed public statements.

Role and tenure at Channel 12

Slater had been a prominent part of WISN’s weather coverage for nearly a decade. She joined the station in June 2016 and later moved into the early-morning weekday role in mid-2019, when longtime meteorologist Sally Severson reduced her schedule. In that position, Slater became a familiar presence during the station’s pre-dawn and morning hours, a daypart where weather coverage is often a central component of the newscast.

WISN’s archived staff biography describes Slater as a Milwaukee-area native and notes earlier experience in Jackson, Mississippi, as well as internships in Madison and with the National Weather Service office serving southeast Wisconsin.

Education and professional background

Slater’s professional profile lists academic training in environmental science and broadcast meteorology, along with graduate-level study in emergency management. Those credentials align with the dual demands of modern local television weather roles, which typically combine forecasting, risk communication during severe weather, and frequent live reporting across multiple platforms.

What happens next for WISN’s weather team

Oswald, a longtime Hearst Television executive, has led WISN-TV since late 2024. The station has not announced who will cover Slater’s shifts in the interim or a timeline for filling the position permanently.

Staffing changes in local TV weather teams can have immediate operational effects, particularly in early-morning programming where meteorologists may deliver updates across multiple hours and frequently contribute to digital forecasts and breaking-weather coverage.

• Slater’s final on-air appearance was no later than Feb. 26, 2026, ahead of her absence on Feb. 27.
• WISN management has started a replacement search but has not released further details.
• No public statement has been issued describing the circumstances of the departure.

WISN’s internal message to staff indicated the station would move forward with a search to fill the vacancy.

As of Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, there has been no public announcement regarding Slater’s next professional move.