Meteorologist Bill Martin delivers his final KTVU forecast, after an impressive 33 years
Bill Martin, KTVU's longtime chief meteorologist, retires after 33 years
KTVU's longtime meteorologist Bill Martin retired Thursday after 33 years at the Bay Area news station. We take a look back at Bill through the years, his career and check in with his family.
OAKLAND, Calif. - On Thursday, Bill Martin will analyze his final satellite model, create his final weather graphics, and deliver his final forecast as KTVU's chief meteorologist.
Martin, with his signature "Nor Cal surfer guy meets highly knowledgeable scientist" vibe, will do what he's done at the Oakland Jack London Square studio for the past 33 years— provide viewers with the information they need to get out the door the next day, map out upcoming plans and outings, and even help determine what to wear.
Timeline:
The seasoned weatherman began his journey at KTVU in 1992, working weekends. Early in his career, he also worked at KRON, Channel 50 KFTY in Santa Rosa, and in 1991 he began delivering the weather at KPIX on weekends.
Bill Martin on the set with the late Leslie Griffith and with George Watson.
Then in 1996, Martin returned to KTVU, the station he would call home for the rest of his career.
He is Northern California to the core, with his deep family roots in the region dating back to the Gold Rush.
Martin grew up in Paradise in Butte County.
In 1982, he graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in physical geography and an emphasis in climatology.
He went on to complete a postgraduate degree at San Francisco State University where he studied atmospheric science.
Over the years, his knowledge and expertise have earned him highly regarded recognitions, including being designated a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) by the American Meteorological Society, the top certification for on-air meteorologists.
In 2014, he was among a select group of only eight meteorologists from around the country invited to the White House to meet with President Barack Obama and his science advisers to discuss critical issues related to climate change.
Bill Martin with President Obama in Washington, D.C. in May 2014.
Beyond the nightly forecasts
Martin has been a trusted voice beyond the daily forecasts— one his audience has turned to in the coverage of major Bay Area disasters, including the Oakland Hills firestorm, the San Bruno gas explosion, the Oroville Dam evacuations, and the devastating Camp Fire in Paradise, in which he sadly lost the house he grew up in.
Big picture view:
Martin is credited for helping to shape the KTVU Weather Department into what it is today.
Many Bay Area residents would agree that he has become a household name over the years, with his casual and unassuming, yet expert delivery.
The ease with which he has engaged with his audience has been a reflection of the kind of person he is off-camera, someone friendly and kind.
His wife, Pam Martin, said these characteristics were the first things she noticed about him when they met.
"He was so nice. That is what I first thought. He was so friendly to everyone, complimented everyone," Pam said.
An accomplished surfer, his passion for the great outdoors, its wind patterns, and the ocean's swells and tides all fed into the passion he found in meteorology.
Bill Martin with his family: Wife Pam, daughter Avery, and son Bill.
The father of two has also shared his love of the outdoors with his young adult children, from surfing, biking, to skiing.
Martin's kids said their dad taught them what it means to find joy and strength in their passions.
"He definitely instilled in me a sense that there is nothing I can’t do, which is a huge blessing, whether that is my career, in my social life, in the way I feel about myself, in my goals and aspirations," Avery Martin said.
Son Bill said he learned by watching his dad what it means to do what you love, go after your dreams, all while being a good and an upstanding person.
"That was his big strength. That is what he has told me as well. Just be authentic to yourself," the son shared. "Do what you want to do and don’t let anybody get in the way of that and just be a nice person."
In the newsroom, the meteorologist has embodied that kindness, never hesitating to offer a colleague a compliment on a good job or any advice to help improve their craft, and has acted as a mentor to many.
KTVU meteorologists Bill Martin and Mark Tamayo.
That's no more evident than his response when asked what he will miss the most about the newsroom: "The people, especially the younger folks just starting out," Martin said.
His absence will be felt as it will mark the end of an era at KTVU and in Bay Area local news as a whole.
Martin is the last of a longtime core anchor crew to say goodbye to their news career. Sports Director Mark Ibanez retired in 2022, and anchor Julie Haener retired last year.
Just days after Martin announced his retirement last month, the KTVU family experienced a profound loss, with the passing of former anchor Dennis Richmond on Feb. 5.
As Martin's news career comes to a close, he's approaching the next chapter in the way he always has: poised and ready to take on that next wave.
What's next:
While he will no longer broadcast his daily KTVU weather forecasts, he's not ready to give up his love of meteorology and his love for sharing his knowledge.
Martin has started a company, called Weather Applied Metrics or WAM, technology that gauges how weather conditions affect the outcome of sporting events. His company is set to work with every team in Major League Baseball and a few National Football League teams.
He's also launched a fast-growing YouTube channel, @2Meteorologist, where he will continue to deliver the weather.
The channel, he said, is taking the edge off the sadness of having to say goodbye to his audience.
And of course, his retirement from television news means more outdoor adventures and spending more time with his biggest and most beloved fans— his family.
Bill Martin with his family in May 2023.
Wife Pam got a front-row seat watching her husband's remarkable career evolve over the years. She praised him for all that he's accomplished.
"I'm really proud of you for how you have navigated this whole incredible industry and enjoyed your career and made it successful and taking care of your family," the wife said, "I’m just really proud."
The Martin kids are also extremely proud of their role model dad and looking forward to the next chapter.
"I love you, dad. You’ve done amazing," his son Bill said. "I’m excited to see what's next."
And from daughter Avery: "Dad, I can't wait to spend even more time with you. I can't wait to make more memories together. I’m so proud of the life that you’ve built. To get watch it from close proximity is a blessing."
The days leading up to his final day at KTVU brought unseasonably warm and sunny weather, a fitting forecast for a bright and well-respected weatherman who has made an indelible mark in the Bay Area, bringing countless viewers valuable insight and information to help them navigate the meteorological landscape from day to day for more than three decades.
And as a new weather pattern is often seen with a new day, for Bill, he says, he's "Just getting started!"
Bill Martin in the 1980s, his first on-air experience as an intern at KRON, producing weather.
Bill Martin's cat became a frequent guest in the home broadcasts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bill Martin with Julie Haener, Mark Ibanez, the late Dennis Richmond, and Assistant News Director Darren Zulberti for Haener's retirement on June 20, 2024.
KTVU Chief Meteorologist Bill Martin announces retirement
KTVU's Chief Meteorologist Bill Martin announces his retirement after 33 years at the station. He also does what he does best: delivers an accurate weather forecast.