12 years after his departure – GMA fans still lament the Unfinished Plans of Sam Champion.

Dec. 2, 2013— — “Good Morning America” weather anchor Sam Champion is leaving ABC News for the Weather Channel, ABC News President Ben Sherwood announced Monday.

Champion, 52, will be managing editor and the on-air face of the Weather Channel.

“While he is leaving ABC News, he will always be a part of our family,” Sherwood said.

Champion began his career with WABC-TV in New York in 1988 and joined the “Good Morning America” team in 2006.

Since then, he has broadcast more than 1,800 weather forecasts, and has traveled to nearly every major weather event, nationally. His reporting on Superstorm Sandy in 2012 contributed to ABC’s Peabody Award for coverage of that historic storm.

“Only an amazing opportunity like this at @weatherchannel cld take me away from my @ABC family of 25 yrs and @GMA #blessedlife,” Champion tweeted.

Sherwood announced that meteorologist Ginger Zee will take over weather reporting responsibilities for ABC News and “GMA.”

“As you know, Ginger always rushes straight toward the eye of any storm and weaves cutting-edge science with human emotion to elevate our coverage,” he wrote.

Champion’s last day on ‘GMA’ will be Wednesday, Dec. 4.