Meteorologist Announces Time Off After Concussion and Shares Important Message for Viewers to ‘Take Into Consideration’

An Emmy-winning New York meteorologist shared an important message for viewers as he announced his decision to temporarily step away from his anchoring duties to recover from a concussion.

On Friday, March 14, CBS News New York’s chief weathercaster Lonnie Quinn revealed the “not-so-great” news that he’d be stepping away for several weeks following a concussion earlier this year.

During the Friday night broadcast on WCBS-TV, later shared by the outlet online, anchor Kristine Johnson announced that Quinn, 61, “suffered a concussion” and initially thought he was “doing OK,” which he then revealed was not the case.

As Quinn explained, he recently “took a wallop on my head,” prompting a visit to the hospital and symptoms that he only discovered later on.

“The big concern in the medical community, they want to see if there’s a brain bleed because you can be dead in the morning if you don’t treat that,” Quinn said, confirming that he had a “negative” cat scan. “So I was free to go home. And I got on with my life, as we all do when we bang our heads, right?”

Quinn — who serves as chief meteorologist for the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. broadcasts on weekdays and can be seen on CBS Evening News — then recounted an incident during a recent 11 p.m. newscast, when he walked out to the set and “all of a sudden” couldn’t see out of his left eye.

“There was no way I could go on. And then just as quickly as it began, it went away. It lasted maybe 15 minutes,” Quinn said.

“I did the newscast. But that’s when our news director — who really looks out for her people — said, ‘OK, you’re not driving home. We’re gonna get you a car. You’re going to the hospital.’ ”

At the hospital, Quinn said he was encouraged to follow up with a neurologist, who eventually informed him of the severity of his injury via an MRI. “He said, ‘Look, it’s going to be just fine, but you cannot just think it’s going to go away on its own. It’s got to be treated.’ ”

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Quinn also shared a major takeaway with viewers — one that they too might wish to “take into consideration.”

“When you bang your head, your brain recovers nicely, but it only recovers while the body is sleeping,” he said.

Toward the end of Quinn’s health announcement, Johnson called her coworker a “consummate professional” as she reassured him that things will be the same when he returns. The good news, Quinn added, is that his doctor has guaranteed a “100% full recovery” for him.

Johnson then promised viewers that her friend and colleague would be “back to business” in just a short period of time.

Quinn also announced his “short-but-extended” break on CBS Evening News this week, noting that he’d be taking “a good four weeks” for physical rehab and cognitive therapy.

“We’re wishing Meteorologist Lonnie Quinn a speedy recovery as he takes time away from CBS Evening News to focus on healing after a serious head injury,” the program shared in a statement on Facebook. “We can’t wait to have you back, Lonnie!”

According to the Johns Hopkins Medicine website, an important factor in treating concussions is rest, as those injured are recommended to get “plenty” of it — from their sleep at night to naps and “rest breaks during the day if needed.”

“If your symptoms don’t go away in a few days or if they get worse, you should call a healthcare provider who specializes in concussions,” the site notes. “You may need medicines, physical therapy, or other treatments for residual symptoms, such as headache, dizziness or balance problems.”