Meteorologist Belinda Jensen will retire from KARE this spring

Belinda Jensen , KARE’s chief meteorologist and one of the Twin Cities’ most popular TV personalities, will sign off this spring as she plans to retire.

Jensen announced Feb. 23 she will deliver her last weather forecast from the station’s backyard on May 2, ending a career at the NBC affiliate that has spanned more than three decades.

“I’m very excited to move on to a new chapter,” Jensen, 58, said in a phone interview a couple of hours after the station broke the news on its website. “It’s the right time for me.”

Jensen said the decision coincided with becoming an empty nester and downsizing. She and her husband will be moving in the next couple of weeks.

Jensen joined KARE full time in September 1993 after working at the National Weather Service and an ABC station in Salt Lake City.

Former KARE anchor Randy Shaver called his former colleague “one of the most popular people I’ve ever seen in the Twin Cities market.”

“Everybody loves Bel, and for good reason,” Shaver said by phone after KARE made the announcement. “She’s just an outgoing people person that you can connect with.”

“KARE always pushed me to try things I never thought I could do,” she said in a statement published by the station. “Every year brought more interesting and incredible experiences.”

Within the first hour of KARE posting the news, scores of people chimed in on the station’s Facebook page to thank Jensen for her work and wishing her well.

“Belinda, you are a wonderful person that’s what really makes you special in addition to being the best meteorologist in the Twin Cities,” wrote Lynn Hasledalen. “Thank you.”

Colleagues were also quick to offer their praises.

“Gonna miss this one,” KARE reporter Boyd Huppert wrote on Facebook. “The genuine article. Even nicer in person than she is on the air. The pro’s pro. Such a privilege to work with you!”

“It will be fun to watch her start a new, and well deserved, chapter but it’s really hard to watch this one end,” she texted. “I’ve been so blessed to work alongside one of my best friends for 22 years. She’s been my rock on air and off. It’s going to be an adjustment for all of us in the newsroom and for our viewers, but I’m grateful that we at KARE had 30+ years with one of the best people and talents in the business.”

Jensen’s affable personality and ability to tell Minnesotans how the weather would affect them helped her connect with viewers, said news director Matt Kummer.

“Her passion for every season, every kind of weather, and how it impacts getting outdoors is what has endeared her to KARE 11 viewers,” he said.

Jensen helped build the staff of KARE’s weather department, and they will now take over, the station said.

Part of Jensen’s appeal stems from her public appearances to support nonprofit organizations. Her philanthropic streak will be on display during the days leading up to her last regular stints on the airwaves.

Though she is retiring, Jensen will appear once a month on the Saturday show as a contributor after taking the summer off, the station said. She’ll be hosting trips to Italy through Defined Destinations in the near future.