Ron Hilliard is an American meteorologist, journalist, and former actor who works for WDIV-TV Local 4 News in Detroit, Michigan. He rose to national attention as a Top 3 finalist on the 2015 TBS reality competition Funny or Die Presents America’s Next Weatherman. The Detroit native joined the station’s 4Warn Weather team in March 2023 and is also recognised for his on-camera storytelling and community advocacy.
Ron Hilliard Profile summary
| Field | Details |
| Full name | Ron Hilliard |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | Late 1986 (exact date undisclosed) |
| Age | Approximately 39 years old (as of 2026) |
| Place of birth | Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Current residence | Metro Detroit, Michigan |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African American |
| Zodiac sign | Capricorn (estimated, based on December birth) |
| Religion | Christian |
| Sexual orientation | Straight |
| Height | Approximately 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Weight | Around 175 lbs (79 kg) |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| Marital status | Single (publicly) |
| Spouse | N/A |
| Children | None publicly known |
| High school | Communication and Media Arts (CMA) High School, Detroit |
| Alma mater | Michigan State University; Specs Howard School of Media Arts; Mississippi State University (post-graduate) |
| Profession | Meteorologist, journalist, former actor |
| Years active | 2012 – present |
| Employer | WDIV-TV Local 4 News (Detroit) |
| Net worth | Estimated $500,000 – $1 million |
| @ronhilliardtv | |
| @RonHilliardTV | |
| X (Twitter) | @RonHilliardTV |
Who is Ron Hilliard?
Ron Hilliard is a broadcast meteorologist and journalist with the 4Warn Weather team at WDIV-TV Local 4 in Detroit. He joined the station in March 2023 after years of reporting and forecasting in Michigan and Pennsylvania.
His passion for weather grew during his childhood on Detroit’s northwest side, where he witnessed the powerful July 2, 1997 tornado outbreak that swept across Southeast Michigan.
Beyond the weather desk, Ron is also a former on-camera actor and a national reality TV finalist. He competed against eleven other on-air talents during the eight-episode TBS series Funny or Die Presents America’s Next Weatherman, finishing in the top three.
He is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Is Ron Hilliard married? Wife, girlfriend, and dating history
Ron Hilliard has not publicly confirmed a wife, girlfriend, or fiancée. He keeps his romantic life private and has not shared details about past relationships in interviews or on social media.
He has openly referred to himself online as a “dog and turtle daddy,” indicating he shares his home with pets rather than children.
There is no public record of him being engaged or having any children. Fans following his accounts often see content focused on weather, family memories, and community work rather than dating news.
Ron Hilliard’s family
Ron is very close to his family and frequently honours them publicly. His mother, Sharon Bowman-Hilliard, passed away on June 4, 2023, just months after he started at WDIV.
He has spoken openly about grief, faith, and mental health since her loss, including a personal essay about coping with seasonal sadness. He also has at least one sister, who first called him about their mother’s medical emergency.
How old is Ron Hilliard? Age and birthday
Ron Hilliard is approximately 39 years old as of 2026. Based on his age listed at 28 during the 2015 production of America’s Next Weatherman, he was born in late 1986 in Detroit, Michigan.
The exact date of birth has not been publicly shared, but he has mentioned being born during winter in Detroit.
Ron Hilliard’s height, weight, and body measurements
Ron stands approximately 6 feet 0 inches (around 183 cm) tall and weighs an estimated 175 pounds (about 79 kg). He maintains an athletic, broadcast-ready frame suited for on-camera weather work.
He has black hair and brown eyes. Exact measurements have not been confirmed publicly, so these figures are approximations.
Where is Ron Hilliard from? Early life and education
Ron grew up in a busy Detroit neighbourhood near 8 Mile and the Southfield Freeway. As a child, he listened to outdoor warning sirens from Wayne and Oakland counties and kept a NOAA All-Hazards Weather Radio running indoors. The 1997 tornado outbreak deepened his respect for severe weather and shaped his future career path.
He graduated from Detroit’s Communication and Media Arts (CMA) High School, where he joined the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit.
He later attended Michigan State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in communications, Spanish, and theatre between 2005 and 2010. During his MSU years, he spent a year studying at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico.
After college, Ron enrolled at the Specs Howard School of Media Arts in Southfield, Michigan, to sharpen his broadcasting skills. He has also pursued post-graduate meteorology coursework at Mississippi State University to deepen his forecasting expertise.
Ron Hilliard’s career journey
Early career and acting
Ron began his on-camera career in Michigan media. He appeared as Stykes in the 2012 independent film Silver Clutch, which earned positive notice for its young cast.
Around the same time, he worked as a co-anchor and reporter at TV Warren News, a cable news program that won a Gold AVA Digital Award in 2016.
National breakout: America’s Next Weatherman
In 2015, Ron joined the cast of TBS’s eight-episode reality competition Funny or Die Presents America’s Next Weatherman, hosted by Matt Oberg.
He was listed as a 28-year-old news intern and SKYWARN-trained weather spotter from Detroit. The series featured 12 competitors vying for $100,000 and a national weather gig. Ron finished as a Top 3 finalist, becoming the show’s most recognised name from Michigan.
Local broadcast work
Ron later worked as a forecaster and weather anchor in Erie, Pennsylvania, before returning to Michigan in 2018. He served as a weather and news reporter at WEYI-TV (NBC) and WSMH-TV (FOX) in the Flint and Saginaw markets. There he covered everything from lake-effect snow to tornado warnings and severe thunderstorms.
WDIV Local 4 News (2023 – present)
In March 2023, Ron returned to his hometown to join the WDIV-TV Local 4 News 4Warn Weather Team alongside fellow new hire Ashlee Baracy.
He delivers daily forecasts, severe weather coverage, and storytelling segments across morning, evening, and weekend shows. Recent assignments in 2025 and 2026 have included community planting advice in spring and live reports from Royal Oak’s Winter Blast festival.
What is Ron Hilliard’s net worth and salary?
As of 2026, Ron Hilliard’s net worth is estimated to be between $500,000 and $1 million. The figure has not been officially confirmed, so this range is based on his television role, length of service, and standard pay for mid-career broadcast meteorologists in major U.S. markets.
His annual salary is estimated at around $70,000 to $90,000, in line with reported pay ranges for television meteorologists working in the Detroit market. His income sources include:
- Salary from WDIV-TV Local 4 News
- Earlier on-air contracts with WEYI-TV, WSMH-TV, and TV Warren News
- Acting credits, including Silver Clutch (2012)
- Reality TV appearance fees from America’s Next Weatherman (2015)
- Public speaking and media appearances
Ron Hilliard’s social media presence
As of 2026, Ron is active on Instagram (@ronhilliardtv), Facebook (@RonHilliardTV with around 8,000 followers), and X/Twitter (@RonHilliardTV).
His content blends Detroit weather updates, family tributes, mental-health advocacy, and behind-the-scenes Local 4 moments. His most-shared posts often celebrate his late mother and Detroit community milestones.
Fast facts about Ron Hilliard
- He is a proud Detroiter who grew up near the famous 8 Mile road on the city’s northwest side.
- He witnessed the historic July 2, 1997 Southeast Michigan tornado outbreak as a child, which sparked his weather career.
- He is a SKYWARN-trained severe weather spotter.
- He speaks Spanish and once studied at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico.
- He performed with the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit during his high-school years.
- He played the role of Stykes in the independent film Silver Clutch (2012).
- He competed on TBS’s Funny or Die Presents America’s Next Weatherman in 2015 and finished in the Top 3.
- He is pursuing post-graduate meteorology studies at Mississippi State University.
- He is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.
- He is an open advocate for mental health awareness and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
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Wrapping up
Ron Hilliard is one of Detroit’s most recognisable young broadcast meteorologists, blending sharp forecasting with personal storytelling.
From the Mosaic Youth Theatre to Michigan State University, Erie, Flint, and TBS, his journey has come full circle at WDIV-TV Local 4 News.
As of 2026, he continues to grow as a forecaster, journalist, and advocate while keeping his personal life largely private. His career trajectory points toward continued expansion in both weather and storytelling roles.
References
- ClickOnDetroit. “Ron Hilliard – Meteorologist Team Page”.
- ClickOnDetroit. “Ron Hilliard on joining Local 4 weather team: Detroit, look up!”.
- ClickOnDetroit. “Ron Hilliard: Why this winter will be extra hard after losing my mom”.
- ClickOnDetroit. “Ron Hilliard: Lessons from my time at Detroit’s Communication and Media Arts High School”.
- PR Newswire. “Local 4 News expanding their 4Warn Weather Team”.
- The Comic’s Comic. “Summer 2015: TBS presents Funny or Die Presents America’s Next Weatherman competition”.
- IMDb. “Ron Hilliard – Biography”.
- Specs Howard School of Media Arts. “Grad Story: Ron Hilliard”.
- Detroit Free Press. “Detroit’s WDIV local news team is growing by two weathercasters”.
- ZipRecruiter. “TV Meteorologist Salary in Detroit, MI (2026)”.
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