JONESBORO, Ark. — Ryan Vaughan plans to leave KAIT at the end of the year, closing a chapter that began when he first joined the Jonesboro television station in 2001.
The station’s chief meteorologist will finish Dec. 29, according to K8’s announcement. Vaughan said prayer and conversations with his family led him to make the change.
“While I do not currently know the next chapter, I’m confident in God’s plan and it’s exciting,” Vaughan said in the station’s report.
Hatton Weeks, KAIT’s vice president and general manager, praised Vaughan’s commitment to keeping viewers safe and his influence on other meteorologists, K8 reported.
K8 marked the 25th anniversary of Vaughan’s arrival in March. His time at the station included an interruption: He spent three years at sister station WSFA in Montgomery, Alabama, before returning to northeast Arkansas.
In its anniversary coverage, K8 highlighted Vaughan’s work during the March 2020 Jonesboro tornado. The station reported that he recognized the tornado threat and urged viewers to take shelter before the National Weather Service issued a warning.
That report also described his advocacy for children in foster care, volunteer service with the Western Greene County Fire Department and mentoring of young people interested in science and meteorology.
Vaughan grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, and graduated from Western Kentucky University with a geography degree emphasizing meteorology and climate, according to his KAIT biography. He also minored in broadcast news.
The biography lists the National Weather Association’s Seal of Approval among his credentials and identifies him as the organization’s 2016 Broadcaster of the Year.
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