Longtime Maritime meteorologist Peter Coade dead at 82

Richard Woodbury · CBC News

· Posted: May 03, 2025 10:44 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

A Nova Scotia meteorologist who was a comforting beingness to Maritimers on tv and radio for much than 5 decades died aboriginal Saturday.

Peter Coade, 82, had dementia and was hospitalized astatine the Hants Community Hospital since November, his lad told CBC News.

With his down-to-earth demeanour and lukewarm voice, Coade had an tremendous passionateness for upwind and was dedicated to sharing the latest predictions.

"It's 1 of the astir important elements we unrecorded by. It dictates our nutrient supply, it dictates however we live, however we work," helium said upon retiring from CBC successful 2016.

At the clip of his retirement, helium held the Guinness World Record for longest vocation for a upwind forecaster, but the grounds has since been surpassed.

In retirement, the doting Coade spent his clip with his lad and daughter, four grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

CBC anchor Tom Murphy reacted Saturday to Coade's death by saying his sanction is synonymous with weather.

"He was that calming, informative dependable to assistance america header connected the eve of a hurricane oregon prime a sunny time astatine the beach," said Murphy. "The audience repaid him with their respect.  Above all, helium was a tremendous workfellow we each miss."

Living successful Nova Scotia meant Coade had the opportunity to telephone respective high-profile upwind events.

Memories of Hurricane Juan

In 2003, Hurricane Juan brought winds of much than 145 km/h and knocked retired powerfulness to 300,000 homes and businesses and downed countless trees. Two radical died arsenic a effect of the Sept. 29, 2003, Category 2 storm.

"A batch of radical that weren't listening to maine were amazed astatine that storm," said Coade.

He said some Maritimers ticker U.S. TV stations for forecasts due to the fact that the upwind usually goes westbound to east. Hurricane Juan didn't travel that signifier and alternatively came up consecutive owed southbound of Halifax. As a result, it wasn't connected the radar of U.S. forecasters.

Remembering White Juan

A specified 5 months later, the monolithic snowstorm known as White Juan dumped 50 to 95 centimetres of snowfall connected Nova Scotia.

Coade besides predicted that, but helium made 1 mistake.

"Stupidly though, I didn't bring successful a alteration of underwear oregon socks, adjacent though I knew I wasn't going location for a mates of days due to the fact that I was trapped successful the city," helium said.

How Coade got his start

Coade's travel into forecasting upwind began with little than noble intentions. In Grade 11 astatine St. Patrick's High School successful Halifax, the main came into his people to speech astir job-shadowing opportunities astatine the CBC. While students raised their hands erstwhile asked if they were funny successful being a camera relation oregon tv presenter, nary 1 raised their hand when meteorologist was brought up.

"I was astute capable to deliberation that this sounds similar a time retired of school," said Coade, who ended up spending a time job-shadowing CBC meteorologist Rube Hornstein.

In the aboriginal days, Coade worked extensively successful radio. In Happy Valley-Goose Bay successful the precocious 1960s, helium presented the upwind each evening connected CBC Television to an assemblage made up mostly of United States Air Force unit and their families stationed successful Labrador during the Cold War.

He aboriginal worked for Toronto vigor presumption CFRB and was besides the meteorologist for the Canadian International Air Show for galore years.

Beginning successful March 1990, Coade worked for ATV and ASN, earlier rejoining CBC successful 2007.