Former NBC4 meteorologist Jym Ganahl dies at age 76
Ganahl, 76, died on Feb. 3 of natural causes, but family said they did not want to publicize the death until after a private funeral service.
Ganahl spent nearly 60 years on air as a meteorologist covering Columbus.
He started doing weather before he started college at just 17 years old after calling the news director at his hometown station in Waterloo, Iowa.
He came to NBC4, then going by its call letters of WCMH, in 1979 and became part of the news team that dominated central Ohio airwaves in the 1980s: 'Doug, Mona, Jimmy and Jym' — Ganahl alongside married news anchors Doug Adair and Mona Scott and sports anchor Jimmy Crum.
Ganahl helped to bring on the station's second meteorologist, Ben Gelber — the longtime Robin to his Batman — who remains with NBC4 after 40 years. Ganahl delivered his final on-air forecast for NBC4 on Sept. 1, 2016, but he stayed on staff until the following July 2017.
After a brief retirement, he joined WSYX/WTTE in a part-time role, finally stepping down last March.
Ganahl had an deep knowledge of weather, including lore such as knowing the temperature by counting cricket chirps in a certain amount of time and adding 40, and knowing how each year there would be three snows after the first forsythia blooms.
He is survived by two daughters and seven grandchildren.
You can post favorite memories of Ganahl and leave condolences on NBC4's Facebook page.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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