When people in southwest Alabama wanted to know what the weather was going to do, they for decades said, “Let’s turn on John Edd and see.” They were, of course, referring to John Edd Thompson, the 30-year weather forecaster on Channel 10 TV, now Fox 10.
Since Thompson retired in 2009, some viewers were so used to getting their weather information from John Edd that they continued to look for him. He wasn’t there, but his memory remained.
Mobile’s longtime face and voice of the weather, John Edd Thompson, has died at age 82.
During his time on the air, John Edd covered infamous hurricanes, including Frederic, Ivan and Katrina. He was Alabama’s trusted voice for what happened and what to do.
Thompson was also a Godfather of Gulf Shores’ Frank Brown songwriters’ festival.
In 2023, Thompson hit the news but not in the weather beat. He was in the crime beat – as a victim at age 81. An assailant had attacked Thompson as he was gassing his car at the Murphy Gas station on Mobile’s University Blvd near Cottage Hill Road. After telling the would-be robber that he carried no cash, Thompson was beaten and thrown to the pavement. Police later arrested 33-year-old Nilson Cain.
John Edd had attended Mobile’s Murphy High School, the University of Alabama and Mississippi State University.
Arrangements will be announced.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler writes about Alabama’s people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
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