Harvey Leonard is WCVB-TV’s chief meteorologist and forecasts for NewsCenter 5’s early evening and late newscasts, as well as for the station’s website. Leonard served as chief meteorologist for WHDH-TV from May 1977 to April 2002 and has worked as a meteorologist in New England for more than 40 years. He also served as chief meteorologist at WPRI-TV in Providence, RI.
Harvey Leonard is WCVB Channel 5’s chief meteorologist, forecasting for NewsCenter 5’s early evening and late newscasts, as well as the station’s website. He joined the station in 2002 as StormTeam 5’s co-chief meteorologist with his longtime friend, the late Dick Albert, who retired in 2009.
Leonard has worked as a meteorologist in New England for more than 40 years. Prior to joining WCVB, Leonard served as chief meteorologist for WHDH-TV from May 1977 to April 2002. He also served as chief meteorologist at WPRI-TV in Providence, RI. Leonard began his forecasting career as a meteorologist for Universal Weather Services, Inc, preparing forecasts for aviation and industry.
Widely regarded as one of Boston’s top meteorologists, Leonard has received numerous awards throughout his luminous career. Among the highlights, he was recently honored with the Governor’s Award for Lifetime Achievement by the 2016 Boston/New England Emmys. He was voted “Best Weatherperson” for 2015 by Boston Magazine in the People’s Choice category, making it the fifth time in his career the magazine’s readership bestowed upon him this honor. He was also previously voted the Hub’s “favorite forecaster” by the Improper Bostonian. In addition, Leonard earned four New England Emmy Awards for outstanding achievement in television weathercasting. In 2003, Leonard was recognized with the Silver Circle Award from NATASNE (National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, New England Chapter) for more than 25 years of broadcast excellence. Leonard is a Fellow of the American Meteorologist Society and was awarded their prestigious Outstanding Service Award by a Broadcast Meteorologist, which recognized and lauded his work on a national level. He is credited as the first meteorologist to correctly predict the impact and intensity of the Blizzard of ’78.
An active member of the community, Leonard is involved in numerous local organizations including the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, the Boston Medical Center, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Association and the Blue Hill Weather Observatory. Leonard has also served as an honored guest speaker at Harvard Business School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Over the years, Leonard has visited and spoken to hundreds of school and adult groups. He has been a mentor to numerous aspiring meteorologists, and today well over a dozen of his protégés serve as on-air meteorologists in markets across the country.
Leonard received a Bachelor of Science degree in meteorology from City College of New York and earned a Master of Science degree in meteorology from New York University, where he also served as an instructor in meteorology.
Leonard is an avid tennis player and enjoys hiking trails, particularly around Walden Pond and Woods Hole. He currently resides in Natick, MA, with his wife. They are the proud parents of two daughters and are grandparents to four beautiful grandchildren.
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