O'Connell was chief weather anchor for WGRZ-TV, the NBC affiliate in Buffalo, New York, from the mid-1990s until 2018. O'Connell also sub-hosted on The David Letterman Show on NBC, hosted the game show Go on NBC from October 1983 to January 1984, and presented the syndicated disco series Disco Step-by-Step from 1977 to 1980.
O'Connell was a prominent figure in television news and entertainment, serving as the chief weather anchor for WGRZ-TV in Buffalo, New York, from the mid-1990s until 2018. He also appeared on The David Letterman Show, hosted the game show Go, and presented the disco series Disco Step-by-Step.