Longtime Phoenix Meteorologist Lindsay Riley Announces Retirement After 19 Years
Riley cites a desire to spend more time with her three sons and husband as the primary reason for stepping away from television.
Lindsay Riley, a familiar face to viewers in Phoenix for nearly two decades, has announced her retirement from meteorology.
Riley, 40, revealed her decision on-air earlier this month, later elaborating in a social media post. Her career in meteorology spans 19 years, a dream she held since childhood, inspired by watching The Weather Channel as a young girl.
Her professional journey began in 2007 at WIVB in Buffalo, New York. Following her initial role, Riley worked at stations in Kentucky, Texas, and Indiana before joining 12News in Phoenix in 2018.
Riley shared that her decision to retire is driven by a desire to dedicate more time to her family. She and her husband, Shawn, welcomed their third child approximately a year and a half ago. "Now, I am officially stepping away from the mic and stepping into retirement to be with my boys," Riley wrote.
She met her husband, Shawn, on a plane during her move from Indiana to Arizona, and they married in April 2019. The couple now has three sons.
Colleagues at 12News honored Riley with a retrospective news package that highlighted her time at the station. The broadcast on September 11 included clips of Riley visibly pregnant during various broadcasts, prompting lighthearted exchanges with evening anchor Tram Mai.
"It's just been a joy, and the team that we have here is just amazing. And it feels like home," Riley said during her final on-air appearance. "I'm just excited to have the evenings with them and my husband too, just have some margin and spend some time with the little kids, because I know I can't get these years back."
In her social media post, Riley expressed gratitude to Phoenix viewers and her colleagues. "Time with my boys and my family is what I am most excited about in this next chapter," she wrote. "Thank you, Phoenix, to those who invited me into your homes each night, to those who have followed along since the beginning, and to my 12 News family - who are truly family to me. I cherish these years. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart."