Mary Kay Kleist Wikipedia | Biography
Mary Kay Kleist is a well-known American meteorologist who currently serves as a weather anchor for CBS News Chicago. She became part of the team in 2002 and has since established herself as one of the most respected and recognizable faces in the Chicago television market. With over thirty years of experience in broadcast meteorology, Kleist is celebrated for her precise forecasting and thorough coverage of severe weather events throughout the Midwest.
Since joining CBS News Chicago, Kleist has achieved the esteemed Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) designation from the American Meteorological Society (AMS), which is one of the highest honors in the field of broadcast meteorology. She also proudly holds both the AMS Seal of Approval and the National Weather Association (NWA) Seal of Approval. Her exceptional work has garnered her several Chicago Emmy Awards, including accolades for her coverage of the April tornado outbreak, a special on severe weather, and her excellence as an on-camera weather anchor.
Prior to her time at CBS News Chicago, Kleist worked as a meteorologist at WXYZ-TV in Detroit, Michigan, from 1999 to 2002, where she provided weather forecasts for the station’s weekend newscasts. Before that, she spent four years at WFLA-TV in Tampa, Florida, serving as the station’s meteorologist while also delivering weather reports for The Tampa Tribune, the local edition of CNN Headline News, and WFLA-AM Radio.
Kleist’s broadcasting journey began at WJCL-TV in Savannah, Georgia, where she took on various roles in the newsroom, including weekend weather anchor, news anchor, health and general assignment reporter, photographer, editor, and anchor for the local edition of CNN Headline News. These diverse responsibilities laid the groundwork for her successful broadcasting career.
She also had a stint in Chicago during the mid-1990s as a weather anchor for WGN-AM Radio and CLTV before making her return to the city years later to join CBS News Chicago.
Mary Kay Kleist proudly graduated magna cum laude from the University of Central Florida, earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in Radio and Television. She then took her passion for weather to the next level by completing the Broadcast Meteorology Program at Mississippi State University, which really honed her skills in weather forecasting and broadcast science.
Mary Kay Kleist Age
Mary Kay Kleist hasn’t shared her exact birth date with the public, which makes pinning down her age a bit tricky. However, looking at her education and career timeline, it’s generally believed that she’s in her mid-50s as of 2026. She seems to prefer keeping her birthday and early life details under wraps.
Mary Kay Kleist Education
Mary Kay Kleist graduated magna cum laude from the University of Central Florida in 1992, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Radio and Television. She then went on to complete the Broadcast Meteorology Program at Mississippi State University, gaining specialized training in weather forecasting and atmospheric science. Additionally, she holds the esteemed Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) designation from the American Meteorological Society (AMS), which is one of the top credentials in the field of broadcast meteorology.
Family
Born and raised in the United States, Mary Kay Kleist has kept details about her parents, siblings, and extended family largely private. Even with her extensive career in television, she values her personal life and has shared very little about her family background.
Mary Kay Kleist Nationality
Mary Kay Kleist is an American by birth. She was born and raised in the U.S. and identifies with the White-American ethnic background.
Height
Mary Kay Kleist is approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall (1.68 meters). However, her exact height and other physical measurements haven’t been publicly confirmed.
Mary Kay Kleist Husband
Mary Kay Kleist is married, but she has opted to keep her husband’s identity and personal details private. She tends to keep discussions about her marriage to a minimum, preferring to separate her family life from her broadcasting career.
Mary Kay Kleist Children
Mary Kay Kleist tends to keep her personal life under wraps, so there isn’t much publicly available information about whether she has children. She values her privacy, and as a result, no confirmed details about her family life have been shared.
Mary Kay Kleist CBS 2 | WBBM
Mary Kay Kleist has been a familiar face in the world of weather at CBS News Chicago (WBBM-TV/CBS 2) since she joined the team in 2002. As part of the First Alert Weather Team, she delivers daily forecasts and keeps a close eye on severe weather that impacts the Chicago area.
Over the years at CBS 2, Kleist has earned a reputation as one of Chicago’s top meteorologists. She achieved the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) designation in 2007 and has been honored with several accolades, including multiple Chicago Emmy Awards for her exceptional weather coverage. Her awards highlight her work on significant tornado outbreaks, severe weather specials, and her skill as an engaging on-camera weather anchor.
Before her time at WBBM-TV, Kleist honed her meteorological skills at WXYZ-TV in Detroit, Michigan. Earlier in her career, she provided weather forecasts for WFLA-TV in Tampa, Florida, and also worked with WGN-AM Radio and CLTV in Chicago. She kicked off her broadcasting journey at WJCL-TV in Savannah, Georgia, where she wore many hats as a weather anchor, news anchor, reporter, photographer, and editor.
Salary
As a seasoned meteorologist at CBS News Chicago (WBBM-TV), he is believed to earn an annual salary that falls somewhere between $100,000 and $180,000. However, the station hasn’t publicly shared her exact earnings.
Mary Kay Kleist Net Worth
As of 2026, her net worth is estimated to be between $2 million and $5 million. She has built her wealth primarily through a successful career in broadcast meteorology, which has spanned over thirty years across television, radio, and print media.
