Watching Tom Skilling Get Choked Up Over The Eclipse Is As Lovely & Inspiring As The Actual Eclipse

By Stephen Gossett in News on Aug 21, 2017 7:10PM

The cosmic ballet went on today, but thanks to some cloudy interlopers, the Great American Eclipse ranged closer to being the Underwhelming or Adequate American Eclipse for some Chicagoans. But veteran WGN meteorologist and enemy of celestial cynicism Tom Skilling, who was reporting from downstate, was not one of those people today.

Skilling was on camera, broadcasting from a beach at the eclipse "crossroads" of Carbondale, IL this afternoon when the enormity of the rare event overcame the longtime weatherman. He started to get a little choked up at around 1:07 p.m., just about 10 minutes shy of Chicago's peak eclipse time.

"We've been told people start sobbing," said the master of foreshadowing. "For some it's just a life-changing event. And we may start doing that, too."

That's when the solar feels really hit.

"I'll get my act together, guys," Skilling, the consummate pro adds, his voice still cracking with emotion. "And I'll be back to you, I promise you. Guys, back to Chicago. Sorry about this." No need to apologize, Tom. We appreciate the lovely, genuine moment.

When it peaked, Skilling was even more thrilled, and he started turning to the crowd around him, giving out hugs.

Not surprisingly, Chicago seems to appreciate Skilling's moment of astronomical vulnerability as much as the eclipse itself. We feel that, too.