A popular weather reporter known for her social media sparring—particularly with Erin Andrews—has lost her job. No, Sam Kuffel’s departure from CBS 58 wasn’t a result of her critique of Andrews moonlighting as a meteorologist during an NFL broadcast; however, her social media activity was central to the controversy. Earlier this week, the Milwaukee-based meteorologist was let go following critical comments posted on her private Instagram account, which were directed not at Andrews but at Elon Musk, who had recently made gestures interpreted by many as resembling a Nazi salute. Kuffel was among those who viewed it that way, stating, “Dude Nazi saluted twice. TWICE. During the inauguration. You f*ck with this man and I don’t f*ck with you. Full Stop.”
In another post, Kuffel shared a meme of Rob McElhenney’s character from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, declaring, “Screw that old b*tch, he’s a Nazi.” Despite her account being private, screenshots quickly circulated on social media, triggering backlash that ultimately resulted in her firing. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the station had informed staff through a memo confirming her departure. “Meteorologist Sam Kuffel is no longer employed at CBS58,” news director Jessie Garcia stated in the memo that was obtained by the Journal Sentinel. “A search for a replacement is underway.”
Before this incident, Kuffel gained national attention for her viral exchange with Erin Andrews during a Week 9 matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions. Kuffel criticized Andrews’ weather reporting from the sidelines at a windy, rainy Lambeau Field. During the second quarter, Andrews delivered a weather update, warning viewers of high wind gusts: “We just got an alert there is a high wind gust warning within the next hour-45 minutes, 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.” Unimpressed, Kuffel expressed her frustration on X, in a since-deleted post, saying, “Begging Erin Andrews to stop making up weather alerts… stuff like this makes me irrationally angry.”
When another user on X questioned the specificity of “43 mph?!”, Kuffel responded with enthusiasm, “Right?!?!”. This exchange caught Andrews’ attention, who chose not to ignore the criticism. Instead, she sent a polite message on X, offering to clarify 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 that exchange ever went anywhere, but it’s striking that merely months later, another social media controversy resulted in Kuffel’s exit from CBS 58.
