>>> JUST ABOUT A MONTH AGO, TWO LEGENDARY TWIN CITIES' BROADCAST METEOROLOGISTS RETIRED IN THE SAME WEEK.

THE COMBINED YEARS OF SERVICE IN THIS MARKET, MORE THAN SIX DECADES.

PAUL HUTNER FORECASTED THE WEATHER IN CHICAGO AND TUCSON, ARIZONA, BEFORE COMING HOME TO THE TWIN CITIES AND MOVING TO MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO NEWS FOR THE REMAINDER OF HIS STORIED BROADCAST CAREER.

BELINDA JENSEN WAS AN INTERN AT KARE 11 AND ENT TO SALT LAKE CITY AND SPENT 33 YEARS AT KARE 11.

HERE IS A QUICK LOOK BACK AT BOTH OF THEIR EARLY YEARS.

>>> METEOROLOGIST PAUL HUT INNER.

THIS MAY END UP BEING ONE OF IF NOT THE BIGGEST SNOW STORMS IN HISTORY.

VIRTUALLY THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS IS IN PARALYSIS THIS MORNING.

A LOT OF THINGS SHUT DOWN.

>>> UP TO THE NORTH IN INTERNATIONAL FALLS, FOG PROBLEMS, BUT THE RAIN IS MOVING TOWARD US.

WE HAVE HAD OFF AND ON OCCASIONAL SHOWERS, SOME HAVE BEEN PRETTY HEAVY.

BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS HEADING OUT ON TO THE LAKE.

>>> OH, YEAH.

OH, YEAH.

A LOOK BACK, YOU TWO.

WELCOME.

>>> THANK YOU.

>>> IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU GUYS ON THE OLD COUCH.

SO I AM A WEATHER NERD.

YOU GUYS BOTH KNOW THAT.

AND YOU COULD HAVE -- YOU BOTH COULD HAVE BEEN RESEARCH METEOROLOGISTS.

YOU COULD HAVE TAUGHT.

YOU COULD HAVE WORKED AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, DEALT AIRLINES.

BUT NO, YOU CHOSE BROADCAST METEOROLOGY.

SO BELINDA JENSEN, WHEN YOU WERE A LITTLE GIRL IN PRESCOTT, WISCONSIN, WHO WERE YOU WATCHING ON TV WHERE YOU SAID TO YOURSELF, OH, I'VE GOT TO DO THAT?

>>> WELL, I -- SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, I WASN'T A KID WHO GREW UP WITH A THERMOMETER ON THE CRADLE.

SO IT WASN'T LIKE I WAS ALWAYS GOING TO DO THIS.

I WAS GOING TO BE A TEACHER.

I WANTED TO BE A GEOGRAPHY TEACHER AND SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER.

I BELIEVE WE ENDED UP BEING TEACHERS AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT.

BUT WHO I WAS WATCHING WHEN I WAS A KID IN PRESCOTT, WISCONSIN, WAS EVERYONE.

I WATCHED EVERYONE, BUT I -- WE ZEROED IN ON THE BRAND-NEW STATION IN TOWN, WHICH WAS WTCN AND IT WAS WALKING DOWLINGS.

>>> MAY 6TH, NOT 65 CHANGED YOUR LIFE.

>>> IT DID.

IT'S MY FIRST LIVING MEMORY.

IT'S AS VIVID -- I COULD PLAY IT BACK ON THE DVR OUT OF MY MIND TODAY.

THE SKY IS GREEN, AFTER SCHOOL, OUT COLLECTING HAIL STONES AS BIG AS YOUR FIST, PUTTING THEM IN THE FREEZER AND MY COME COMES OUT AND SAYS YOU KIDS COME INSIDE, THERE IS A TORNADO COMING.

THAT DAY OUR HOUSE WASN'T DAMAGED, BUT A MILE AWAY, A HOUSE WAS LEVELED.

AND I WAS HOOKED.

I WAS LIKE, I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT DID THIS.

>>> AND SO WHO WERE YOU WATCHING?

>>> SO IT MIGHT DATE ME A LITTLE MORE THAN BELINDA, BECAUSE I GO BACK TO THE DR.

WALT LIONS, MIKE FAIR BORN, AND MIKE FAIR BORN GAVE ME AN INTERNSHIP WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE AT MACALASTER.

I DID TWO YEARS OF AN INTERNSHIP IN THE CCO WEATHER CENTER.

I WAS LIKE, YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO KICK ME OUT OF HERE.

IT WAS WONDERFUL TO ACTUALLY MEET THOSE PEOPLE AND LEARN FROM THEM.

>>> AND YOU INTERNED WITH PAUL DOUGLAS.

>>> I DID FROM MADISON, YES.

I INTERNED BETWEEN MY JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEAR.

>>> DOESN'T HE CLAIM SOME SORT OF YOUR SUCCESS?

>>> HE WAS MY MENTOR BUT I INTERVIEWED HIM WHEN I WAS IN TENTH GRADE.

SO I DID A PAPER ON METEOROLOGY.

MY PHYSICS TEACHER TOLD ME TO DO THIS, DO A TERM PAPER.

I WANTED ME TO GO TO WISCONSIN, MADISON.

HE WENT TO MADISON.

AND I CALLED HIM ON THE PHONE, HE ANSWERED THE PHONE.

I INTERVIEWED HIM, I GOT AN A ON THE PAPER.

AND THEN I GOT HIS JOB.

SO YOU NEVER KNOW.

YOU EVER KNOW.

>>> WILLARD SCOTT, THE GREAT TV WEATHER GUY, SAID -- USED TO SAY THAT BEING IN TV WEATHER PERSON WAS THE BEST JOB.

ON TV.

IT'S THE BEST AND MOST SECURE JOB.

THEY CHANGE ANCHORS, SETS, PRODUCERS, BUT THE WEATHER PEOPLE REMAIN.

>>> HUH.

>>> TALK ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP YOU GUYS HAVE HAD WITH VIEWERS AND LISTENERS, THE GOOD AND THE BAD.

THEY REALLY LOVE YOU, BUT THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP.

DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT?

>>> YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU, SINCE I ANNOUNCED I WAS RETIRING, IT'S BEEN OVERWHELMING THE POSITIVE RESPONSE I'VE HAD FROM PEOPLE I'VE NEVER EVEN MET.

AND IT TAUGHT ME SOMETHING.

WE HAVE, AND YOU KNOW THIS -- YOU DO THIS -- WE CONNECT WITH PEOPLE.

WE HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT IN PEOPLE'S LIVES, AND WE'RE IN THEIR HOMES EVERY DAY.

THEY KNOW US.

THEY KNOW US MORE THAN I EVER THOUGHT THEY DID, ECAUSE I GET THAT WE CONNECT WITH PEOPLE.

BUT IT'S BEEN OVERWHELMING WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT MY WORK AND OUR WORK SINCE I RETIRED.

>>> BUT WHAT'S THE DEAL WHEN YOU GET SEVERE WEATHER AND YOU'RE INTERRUPTING GOING WALL-TO-WALL?

SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THAT.

>>> OH, YOU'RE RIGHT.

ABSOLUTELY YOU'RE RIGHT.

AND THAT'S EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS, TOO.

AND -- BUT, OF COURSE, IT IS OUR DUTY TO DO THAT.

I THINK EATHER IS JUST SUPER PERSONAL.

BECAUSE YOU'RE THE PERSON LETTING THEM KNOW, YOU KNOW, CAN THEY BRING EVERYONE TO GRADUATION TONIGHT AT BNILDE, OR IS IT GOING TO BE IN THE GYM AND THEY CAN ONLY BRING THREE PEOPLE.

ARE YOU GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE YOUR TEE TIME.

WILL YOU HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND ON THE LAKE.

HOW IS YOUR WEDDING GOING TO BE?

SO WHEN YOU'RE TELLING THEM SOMETHING SO PERSONAL AND SO TANGIBLE, WEATHER, AND WE ALL DEAL WITH IT HERE -- THE SUPER BOWL OF WEATHER, MINNESOTA -- >>> SURE OWE.

>>> I THINK IT BECOMES A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP.

AND THE OTHER THING I LEARNED DURING THE PANDEMIC WAS THE NEWS IS SO DAUNTING AND THE FIRST BLOCK IS VERY DAUNTING.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, IF THE SPORTS TEAMS ARE DOING WELL, THE LAST BLOCK IS DAUNTING.

WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE.

AND IF WORRY TALKING ABOUT A BLIZZARD OR A THUNDERSTORM OR A SUNNY DAY, WE HAVE THE THREE 3 MINUTES WHERE WE GET TO TALK ABOUT CLOUDS AND RAIN AND SOMETHING REALLY THAT CAN BE POSITIVE.

SHOULD BE POSITIVE.

AND I THINK DURING THE PANDEMIC, I REALIZED HOW IMPORTANT THOSE THREE MINUTES WERE TO EVERYBODY.

>>> ONE OF THE GREAT CLICHES TO EVERYBODY IS THE HALLOWEEN BLIZZARD OF 1991.

YOU WERE THE LONE RANGER THAT DAY?

>>> WHAT AN AMAZING MORNING FOR ME, BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, WE DIDN'T HAVE A MORNING SHOW AT THAT TIME.

SO THEY'RE LIKE, OKAY, HUTNER, YOU COME IN, AND DO SOME CUT-INS UNTIL THE REST OF THE NEWS TEAM GETS THERE.

I MADE IT OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY IN 15 INCHES OF SNOW.

I WAS THE ONLY NE THAT MADE IT TO THE STATION THAT MORNING.

SO MY NEWS DIRECTOR COMES IN AND SAYS I WANT YOU TO STAY ON THE AIR AS LONG AS YOU CAN.

AND I SAID, COOL.

AND I WAS ON THE AIR ALONE PRETTY MUCH FOR ABOUT 45, 50 MINUTES FOR ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE HOURS UNTIL FINALLY THE NOON SHOW CAME IN.

SO THAT WAS MY BIG BREAK IN TV AND THE NEWS DIRECTOR CALLED ME OVER THE NEXT AY AND HE SAYS HUTNER, CONGRATULATIONS, YOU'RE THE ONLY PERSON IN CCO HISTORY WITH THEIR OWN 40-SHARE.

EVERYBODY WAS WATCHING.

IT WASN'T ME.

IT WAS THE STORM THAT WAS THE WEATHER.

BUT JUST DUMB LUCK.

>>> I LOVED THAT THE -- THE REALLY OLD COMPUTER BEHIND YOU 3 THERE IN THAT SHOT THAT WE HAD.

YOU KNOW WHAT GOB SMACKS ME WHEN I THINK -- BECAUSE WE'RE ALL KIND OF THE SAME VINTAGE HERE IN TERMS OF THE TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY IN THE YEARS YOU'VE BEEN IN THE BUSINESS.

WHEN YOU LOOK BACK, THAT IS KIND OF CRAZY.

THE GRAPHICS, THE RADAR.

EVERYTHING.

>>> EVERYTHING.

AND WHEN INTERNED AT KARE, IT WAS 1988.

AND WE STILL HAD A MAP WALL AND I STILL HAD COLORED PENCILS AND WE HAD A LOUD MAP PRINTER.

AND WHEN I TELL MY METEOROLOGY TEAM THAT I HAVE -- WHO WERE ALL MY INTERNS, AND THEY'RE LIKE NO.

AND I'M LIKE, NO, THAT WAS THE MAP WALL RIGHT OVER THERE.

>>> WHEN YOU -- ADDRESS THE AUDIENCE FROM THE -- THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN, IT'S A GREEN SCREEN, RIGHT, AND YOU'RE -- LOOKING AT A MONITOR OFF CAMERA.

>>> I OWN NO GREEN COTHES.

>>> AS YOU SHOULD NOT.

>>> BECAUSE YOU WOULD DISAPPEAR.

>>> I WOULD BE COMPLETELY INVISIBLE AND THEY ASKED ME TO DO IT ON HALLOWEEN ND I SAID NO.

I WON'T BE SILLY.

>>> YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN RETIRED A MONTH.

>>> WE RETIRED ON THE SAME NIGHT.

>>> I KNOW.

>>> WE DIDN'T PLAN IT.

>>> HOW CRAZY IS THAT.

>>> YOU CAN NEVER REALLY STEP AWAY FROM THIS, THOUGH.

ONCE A WEATHER NERD, ALWAYS A WEATHER NERD; RIGHT?

>>> KIND OF.

IT'S BEEN NICE NOT FIGURING OUT THE CHAOS THEORY FOR THE LAST 30 DAYS.

IT'S BEEN VERY NICE.

>>> YOU FEEL THE WEATHER-RELATED STRESS MELTING AWAY.

NO WARNINGS.

>>> YOU GUYS SAVED LIVES.

THAT'S GOT TO BE A NICE FEELING.

>>> IT IS.

I MEAN, THAT PART OF OUR JOB, THAT RESPONSIBILITY, IS PRETTY DAUNTING.

AND IT'S SOMETHING I ALWAYS TOOK VERY SERIOUSLY.

AND IT SURPRISED ME, PEOPLE TELL ME, PAUL, YOU'RE SO CALM.

AND I'M LIKE, NO, I'M NOT.

YOU KNOW, I'M DOING MY BEST.

>>> BREWING UP.

>>> CALM BEFORE THE STORM.

>>> WE'VE GOT TO RUN.

>>> YOU GUYS DID GREAT.

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.

>>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING.

>>> CONGRATULATIONS.

YOU MENTALITY SO MUCH, YOUR WARMTH TO SO MANY PEOPLE.

>>> AND YOU, AS WELL.

WE HAD A CHANCE TO WORK TOGETHER ON A NUMBER OF PROJECTS.

AND I APPRECIATED PAUL SO