Former WRAL meteorologist Greg Fishel back on the air in commercial for Fayetteville's Blanton's

Beloved former TV weatherman Greg Fishel, who had been a staple in many North Carolina households for nearly 40 years, has a new role with a Fayetteville HVAC company.

Since November, the former WRAL meteorologist has been the spokesman for Fayetteville-based Blanton's Air, Plumbing and Electric.

Madison Creech, marketing coordinator for Blanton's, said since taking on his new role, Fishel has received overwhelmingly positive client feedback.

"Many of our clients grew up watching and listening to Greg Fishel on air," Creech said in an email. "They are glad he's back and partnering with our local business who's been around for 70+ years."

Fishel was a vital part of the WRAL weather forecast starting in 1981. He took over for "The Biggest Name in Weather" Bob DeBardelaben in 1989, later becoming the country's first official Certified Broadcast Meteorologist in 2005.

Three years ago, Fishel resigned from WRAL, saying personal issues affected the quality and professionalism of his work.

Read more: What's the real story being Greg Fishel leaving WRAL?

"I want to let viewers of WRAL know that you will no longer see me as a part of the WRAL News team," Fishel said at the time. "I have been facing many personal challenges over the last year, and these issues have impacted my ability to work effectively and professionally."

After leaving TV weather forecasting, Fishel worked for Amsterdam-based power company Priogen Energy in Raleigh. According to his LinkedIn profile, Fishel served as the company's senior atmospheric scientist from October 2019 to July 2020. In October 2020, Fishel, who lives in Raleigh, created The O'fishel Weather – and other stuff Page on Facebook for longtime fans and weather watchers to keep up with his day-to-day life and of course, the weather.

Creech said that Fishel's expertise in weather will contribute to Blanton's success in local communities.

"Weather can heavily impact parts of your home related to air, plumbing, electric, and generators — all services Blanton's provides," Creech said, "From heatwaves and cold snaps to ice storms and hurricanes, a former meteorologist like Greg Fishel … can help alert the community of such weather-related situations, and then we can help bring comfort to their homes."

Fans of Fishel got the opportunity to see him back on screen in his Blanton commercial that first aired back in January.

The commercial is reminiscent of the film "Cast Away," with the idea of Fischel being "found" by the Blanton's mascot Coolidge, an HVAC repairman. The commercial has more than 88,000 views on Facebook and more than 35,000 on YouTube, with viewers leaving comments such as "best weatherman ever" and "It's so good to see the Fish on TV again."

Creech said that Fishel is "enjoying being a part of the Blanton's family.

"It's a partnership that can only help our fellow neighbors," she said.

Staff Writer DorMiya Vance can be reached at dvance@gannett.com

Huge savings: $1 for 3 months

Subscribe today to support local journalism and enjoy unlimited digital access including videos, apps, sports news, and more. Special introductory offer for new subscribers only.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Former WRAL meteorologist Greg Fishel lands new role with Blanton's