Nelly Carreno is joining CBS News Texas KTVT Dallas-Fort Worth in March 2026 after leaving her Univision 23 KUVN DFW chief meteorologist position in February.
"I’ve been watching the work CBS is doing here in North Texas, and I’m truly impressed by the journalism and the commitment to serving the community," Carreno told mikemcguff.com. "It’s clear that the team takes the responsibility of informing the public seriously. I’m also excited to work alongside some incredible scientists, including one of the few female Chief Meteorologists in Texas, and to be part of a team that values both strong journalism and strong science."
"Nelly will truly complete our First Alert Weather Team," added CBS News Texas chief meteorologist McKenna King. "She is a warm and friendly face and is already a trusted voice in North Texas when it comes to severe weather coverage. This is home for her. She knows the area, and she already loves the people. Nelly brings experience from so many diverse climates. From Chicago to Boston to Dallas and places in between, she has experience in snow and ice coverage, and she also has extensive experience covering severe weather, right here in North Texas. We are so excited to have her talents and experience as a part of our team at CBS News Texas."
OTHER RECENT CBS NEWS TEXAS WEATHER HIRES
- Damien Lodes joins CBS News Texas
- Michael Autovino joins CBS News Texas
- Lauren Bostwick officially joins CBS Texas
CBS News Texas tells me the station is excited to leverage Carreno's reputation for quickly delivering critical weather information across all screens.
"Weather doesn’t happen on a schedule, and when there’s a tornado warning or winter weather approaching, people can’t wait for the next newscast," Carreno explained. "A digital-first approach allows us to meet people wherever they are...at their kids’ soccer game, on a job site, or at work and get them the information they need to stay safe the moment they need it. North Texas is home to a large and vibrant Hispanic community and it’s vital that life-saving weather information reaches everyone. Being able to communicate forecasts and warnings in both English and Spanish helps ensure more people understand what’s happening and how to stay safe, especially during fast-moving severe weather events."
"Bringing Nelly on board is a big moment for us," KTVT President-GM Tim Hinson said. "In a region with one of the largest bilingual audiences in the country, connecting with our North Texas audience in both English and Spanish is essential. What excites me most is how she'll pair that connection with innovation, using AR/VR to make weather come alive, all backed by the trust and urgency of our First Alert Weather brand. It's about serving more people, in smarter ways, when the forecast matters most."
"Nelly is already known and trusted in North Texas," said Meagan Harris, KTVT VP, News & Creative Content. "Adding her to the team brings a level of severe weather expertise that will help us own storm coverage. Our weather transformation is finally complete. Utilizing our massive AR/VR set, we can tell the weather story at a level that’s just different from everyone else. Now with the final piece of our team, we’ll be able to expand our audience reach with bilingual content, increase our streaming play and truly own severe weather coverage."
"The augmented reality set is an incredible tool for showing viewers exactly what’s happening in the atmosphere," Carreno added. "Like any new technology, there will probably be a few kinks to work through at the beginning as I learn the system, but it’s amazing that I get to use some of the newest tools in broadcasting while doing the job I love… helping people understand the science behind the forecast."
Carreno, an Emmy award-winning bilingual broadcast meteorologist, has led Univision Dallas's weather coverage since 2016 on the 5pm and 10pm newscasts.
Before joining Univision in North Texas, Carreno spent six years as a meteorologist at New England Cable News (NECN) in Boston, where she anchored the weekday 9 a.m. and noon weathercasts.
Earlier in her career, Carreno worked at Telemundo Chicago WSNS as a meteorologist and entertainment anchor. She also served as executive producer and host of the entertainment program Acceso Total and occasionally filled in as a weather anchor for NBC Chicago WMAQ.
Carreno’s national broadcasting experience includes time at AccuWeather as a weather anchor and travel reporter. During that role, she appeared as a weather correspondent on Bloomberg Television, filled in on the national morning show Cada Día, and delivered forecasts for several Univision stations across the country.
She began her television career in Texas, working as a weather anchor and entertainment reporter for Telemundo Dallas KXTX. Earlier roles included anchoring morning and noon newscasts at KVII in Amarillo and reporting for KTXS in Abilene.
Carreno earned her Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and later completed the Broadcast Meteorology Program at Mississippi State University.
"We have big plans for Nelly," King said. "Those who have seen her on air know how easy it is for her to connect with her community. She's warm and friendly, and that goes a long way. Nelly loves dogs, so we felt it was a natural fit for her to lead our partnership with Canine Companions, a nonprofit that provides service animals to people in need. We are so excited to introduce our new service puppy in training at the same time we welcome Nelly on board. There are so many other things in the works as well. She is already so well-established in North Texas, so you'll be seeing her around the community a lot."
"One issue that’s very close to my heart is animal welfare," Carreno said. "North Texas has an incredible network of rescue organizations, and over the years, I’ve worked with many of them to help animals in need, especially during extreme weather like freezes or severe storms. I’m excited to partner with organizations like Canine Companions and continue using my platform to help connect animals with the people who can give them a safe home."
