A popular weather reporter with a history of sparring on social media — most notably with Erin Andrews — is out of a job.
And no, Sam Kuffel’s departure from CBS 58 wasn’t tied to her critique of Andrews moonlighting as a meteorologist during an NFL broadcast. But her social media activity was still at the center of the controversy.
Earlier this week, the Milwaukee-based meteorologist was let go following critical comments she posted on her private Instagram account. The posts weren’t aimed at Andrews this time but rather at Elon Musk, who was in the headlines after making gestures that many interpreted as resembling a Nazi salute.
Kuffel was among those who saw it that way.
She wrote, “Dude Nazi saluted twice. TWICE. During the inauguration.”
“You f*ck with this man and I don’t f*ck with you. Full Stop.”
And in another post, Kuffle shared a meme on her Instagram story of Rob McElhenney’s character on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, saying, “Screw that old b*tch, he’s a Nazi.”
Even though Kuffel’s account was private, screenshots of her posts quickly made their way around social media, sparking a swift backlash that ultimately led to her firing. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the station sent a memo to staff confirming her departure.
“Meteorologist Sam Kuffel is no longer employed at CBS58,” said the staff memo from news director Jessie Garcia that the Journal Sentinel obtained. “A search for a replacement is underway.”
Before this incident, Kuffel was best known nationally for her viral exchange with Erin Andrews during a Week 9 matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. Kuffel had taken issue with Andrews’ weather reporting from the sidelines of a windy, rainy Lambeau Field.
During the second quarter, Andrews delivered a weather update for Fox’s broadcast.
“We just got an alert there is a high wind gust warning within the next hour-45 minutes,” said Andrews. “Expecting gusts up to 43 miles per hour. So we’ve got the wind, we’ve got the rain, we’ve got the grass, we’ve got the NFC North, baby. Welcome to Lambeau.”
Kuffel, who was also a regular on Milwaukee’s sports radio station, WRNW-FM (97.3), was unimpressed.
“Begging Erin Andrews to stop making up weather alerts,” Kuffel said on X in a since-deleted post, “stuff like this makes me irrationally angry.”
When another X user wrote, “And 43 mph?! Specifically,” Kuffel responded, “Right?!?!”
The exchange caught Andrews’ attention. Rather than ignoring the critique, the veteran sideline reporter responded with a polite message on X (formerly Twitter), offering to explain the source of her weather data.
@SamKuffelWx hey Sam! Just saw the story abt your tweet. Let me know the best way to touch base. Wanted to show you where Fox security (working the game) and I got our Weather Alert for the Packers game! Thx!!
— Erin Andrews (@ErinAndrews) November 7, 2024
It’s unclear if anything ever came of that exchange between Kuffel and Andrews. But nonetheless, it’s still pretty wild that just a few months later, another social media controversy would lead to Kuffel’s exit from CBS 58.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.