Lauryn Ricketts brought the latest weather updates to Washington, DC residents. But now, the meteorologist is stepping back for personal reasons. Lauryn Ricketts announced she is leaving NBC4 Washington in August 2022. The announcement naturally surprised the viewers of WRC-TV. They want to know why she is leaving and where she is going next. They hope to see her on broadcast television soon. The weather anchor answered most viewers’ questions, but her longtime followers might have to wait to see her back on TV again.
Lauryn Ricketts Exits NBC4 Washington
Drawn to science and wanting to pursue broadcast meteorology since she was a child, Ricketts received a BS in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Meteorology from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia. She has been covering weather at news stations for almost two decades, including serving as chief meteorologist at TV3 in her hometown of Winchester.
Ricketts has called Alexandria, Virginia, home since joining the Storm Team 4 at WRC-TV. She also did the weekday morning forecasts on 103.5 WTOP-FM. Over the years, Ricketts has earned national acclaim for her coverage of severe weather, such as Hurricane Isabel in 2003, the 2008 tornado, and the snowstorms of 2009 and 2010.
The DC community benefits not only from her weather forecasts but also from her other contributions. A former soccer player, the WRC-TV meteorologist also coaches local kids in the sport.
When duty calls- you gotta go. Joining my husband overseas for his TWO YEAR POST so next weekend will be my last shows. Join us again at 9am and we’ll talk more about it ❤️ I’m so sad to leave— believe me! https://t.co/EJZhzuz083
— Lauryn Ricketts (@laurynricketts) August 21, 2022
NBC4 Washington viewers have had the privilege of glancing into Ricketts’ home life—from her wedding to parenthood. Suffice to say, they were surprised at the news of Lauryn Ricketts’ leaving NBC4.
Ricketts beckoned viewers to watch her latest weekend broadcast for some significant personal news. During the August 21 broadcast, she announced that she is leaving the station. Her last day on air will be next weekend.
The meteorologist isn’t leaving for a new job, and it’s unlikely we will be seeing her reporting on the weather for a couple of years. Ricketts is leaving the Washington area to follow her husband overseas on his new posting for the next two years. However, she has not revealed where the posting is.
Ricketts is married to Eric Earnhardt, a Penn State soccer alum and retired Marine Corps Major. They’ve been friends since high school when they played soccer together and reconnected in 2012. Earnhardt retired from the Marines in 2016 and got a job working for the Department of Defense. They married on December 30, 2017, two weeks before Earnhardt was deployed on an assignment.
Ricketts was on the air right through her 2019 pregnancy while her husband was in Afghanistan. When she gave birth to a stillborn in 2020, her colleagues helped her through it, and NBC4 viewers sent immense love and support her way. After fertility treatments, Ricketts gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Crew, on January 27, 2022.
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Ricketts returned to work from maternity leave in July. But only a month later, she decided to step back from the demanding schedules of broadcasting to spend time with her husband and son. She is moving to Earnhardt’s overseas posting, and it’s unlikely she will be getting a new broadcasting job as an overseas correspondent. While her followers wished to have more time with Ricketts in DC, they wish her and her family well.
