Kalee Dionne

Kalee joined the NBC 5 Chicago weather team in October 2016. She returns to Illinois from Kansas City where she was the morning meteorologist at 41 Action News. In the fall of 2014, she was voted Kansas City's Best Meteorologist by KC Magazine. She joined the 41 Action News team back in April 2013 after three years of giving the daily weather and traffic reports on Wake Up Alabama in Birmingham, AL.  She is excited to move back to the Midwest to be able to forecast all four seasons. Most importantly, she brings a lot of severe weather experience from her time covering Tornado Alley to keep the people of Kansas and Missouri safe.  In 2011, Kalee was brought to a new level of excellence in her weather broadcasting career.  On April 27, a strong line of tornadoes decimated the state of Alabama.  It was a part of a super-tornado outbreak that was one of the largest in US history. The WIAT-TV weather team went wall-to-wall with their coverage.  Kalee kicked off the coverage in the early morning and stayed on until late at night.  The broadcast featured live images of tornadoes destroying parts of Alabama.  In total 243 people were killed in the outbreak. It’s a day that Kalee will never forget, but her professionalism and team approach to the coverage received recognition in competition.  WIAT won numerous broadcast honors, including the Edward R. Murrow, Associated Press and Alabama Broadcasters Association, including Station of the Year.  It was in large part due to the efforts of the weather team during that terrible day. Kalee began at Lincoln College in Lincoln, IL where she took on Musical Theater.  She performed at Disney World, Carnival Cruise Lines, Cedar Point and in the musical “Smile” in Cisco, TX before deciding to take her performance to the camera.  She then transferred to Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Radio/Television Broadcasting.  Kalee worked as a Weather Anchor/Supervisor, Reporter, Anchor and Producer at the Southern Illinois University student run station, River Region Evening Edition.  While she was there, the student program won state and national awards including, Best Student Run Newscast at NAB 2007.  Kalee also interned and later worked as a Weathercaster at the ABC affiliate in Southern Illinois, WSIL-TV.  In late Spring 2008, Kalee relocated to central Illinois where she worked at the CBS affiliate in WCIA-TV.  There she was the Weekend Weather Anchor and live weather reporter for the Morning Show during the week.  Kalee spear-headed a Winter Weather Awareness class at Lincoln College.   Kalee went back to school while working full-time to get a second Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Meteorology from Mississippi State University, which she completed in the summer of 2011.  She is also a member of the National Weather Association, which she was the Secretary/Treasurer of the Central Alabama Chapter.  Kalee was chosen to speak at the 2011 National Weather Association Conference about the Social Media and the effectiveness during the Deep South Outbreak on April 27, 2011.   In her free time, Kalee enjoys singing and dancing, which she sings the National Anthem at local sporting events, including a Kansas City Royals game.  She also enjoys working out! Pilates and running are her favorites.  She ran her first half marathon in Birmingham in 2011.  She loves cheering for her Chicago sports teams.  The Chicago Bears, Cubbies, Hawks and Bulls keep her busy all year long.  She also enjoys hanging out with her husband, family, friends and dog, Mia Bean.