After a harrowing medical journey, CBS New York’s chief meteorologist Lonnie Quinn has officially returned to the newsroom — and his comeback is being met with pure celebration.

Quinn, 61, had been absent from the airwaves since sustaining a traumatic brain injury in March, a condition that required him to take nearly two months away from work to fully rest and recover. But on Monday, May 5, he triumphantly walked back into the WCBS-TV newsroom, where he was greeted with cheers, hugs, and applause from his colleagues.

A video shared by CBS New York on Tuesday captures the emotional homecoming: Quinn beams as he walks through the office, greeted by smiling staff, warm embraces, and even a “No. 1” foam finger waved proudly in his honor.

The moment marks more than just a return to work — it’s a powerful testament to recovery, resilience, and the support of a tight-knit newsroom family.

“It was a very major head injury,” Quinn said, per the station. “Once the MRI came back, that’s when the doctors came in and said ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. This is actually a traumatic brain injury, not just a concussion. You’ve got to be out of work for six to eight weeks, rest and relaxation.’ “

Quinn initially thought he had a concussion after he “took a wallop on my head” in March, he said on Monday’s broadcast. He then went to the hospital just to confirm there was no internal bleeding in his brain, and his negative CT scan meant he could go home.

For a short time afterward, he lost vision out of his left eye. “There was no way I could go on,” he recalled. But it came on quickly and dissipated just as fast, lasting about 15 minutes.”

After Quinn completed the newscast that day, a CBS news director — “who really looks out for her people,” he said — insisted Quinn couldn’t drive home and that he needed to go to the hospital.

Lonnie Quinn.Rob Marciano/Instagram

At the hospital, where he underwent further imaging with an MRI, Quinn discovered he didn’t just have a concussion. On Monday’s broadcast, Quinn cautioned his viewers to take proper care in the event of a head injury, and to take doctors’ advice seriously.

“When you bang your head, your brain recovers nicely, but it only recovers while the body is sleeping,” he said.

“Listen, I missed you guys more than you know,” he said to his coworkers. “I mean, this is a business where we’re kind of connected to what we do, and I’m certainly connected with you guys.”