On September 30, KSAZ Weather Anchor Dave Munsey will mark 4o years on the air at the same station.

He beats FTVLive's longest stint at a TV station by a mere 36 years.

"It's not something I was shooting for," Munsey says. "It's kind of crazy. You're just working and all of a sudden you've been here for 40 years. It's like, where did all the time go?"

In Munsey's case, those years have gone into building a reputation as one of the Valley's most likable and trusted TV personalities. Hailing from North Dakota, he's got a friendly, Midwestern charm that makes viewers feel like old pals.

He received evidence of that 27 years ago. His mother had died, and he was at Sky Harbor Airport waiting to take a flight to North Dakota for the services. A woman about his mom's age recognized him from TV, and asked where he was going.

"I started to say that I was going home, and I started crying," he recalls. "She took me in her arms. She didn't hug me; she cuddled me. And it was a moment when I realized that these people like me. I'm not just a weatherman. They have a personal relationship with me."

He's also respected in the industry. He's won multiple Emmy Awards and was honored with a Dave Munsey Day by former Tempe Mayor Harry Mitchell. Munsey, being the low-key guy he is, can't remember the specifics of the latter.

"I haven't looked at the paperwork, so I don't know what day it is," he admits. "So, basically, I celebrate every day as Dave Munsey Day."

Munsey's trademarks include his immaculate taste in clothing. The man loves tailored suits and crisp white dress shirts: "People call me and want to know where I buy my shirts, because they've never seen whiter shirts than mine," he says with a laugh.

Plus, he says, the suits help him maintain his trim, made-for-TV appearance.

"If you go out and spend a bunch of money on suits, that's going to make you want to keep the same waistline," he says.

Yeah....he's got FTVLive beat in that area as well.

H/T AZ Central