New chief meteorologist at KOVR returns to her Sacramento-area roots

A Sacramento television station has named a new chief meteorologist.

Jennifer Stanonis, who grew up in Granite Bay, has joined KOVR as chief meteorologist, the CBS-owned-and-operated station said in a news release.

“Jennifer has spent more than two decades tracking some of the nation’s most extreme weather—from tornado outbreaks and crippling blizzards to wildfires, floods, heat waves and tropical systems,” the station said.

Stanonis, a Sacramento-area native who grew up in Granite Bay, previously worked for KRON in the Bay Area and television stations in Casper, Wyoming, and Buffalo, New York.

Her interest in broadcasting began in high school and continued through college in San Francisco, the station said.

“Along the way, she has covered nearly every type of severe weather event imaginable while earning a reputation for calm, authoritative reporting during high-impact weather,” KOVR said.

Stanonis earned a New York Emmy Award and wrote the award-winning children’s book “Willy and Lilly’s Adventures with Weather.”

She is returning to the Sacramento area with her husband and three children.

Stanonis steps into the role for the capital duopoly — KOVR, Channel 13, and KMAX, Channel 31 — after the departure of Nic Merianos, who moved to CBS’ owned-and-operated affiliate in Miami, WFOR, in May.

This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 9:00 AM.