History of the National Weather Service

Let's switch to something a little less ominous, shall we? How about the History of the National Weather Service? Yes, I know, it might be a bit dull and boring compared to some of our other scintillating topics, but it is something we all ought to know. Perhaps I should save this stuff for Sunday School. However, I've had my fill of gloom and doom from Australia, drought from China, gales in the Bering Sea, the huff and puff of Redoubt and mudslides in Southern California.

The old photo is of Cleveland Abbe, America's first forecaster. Working as he did with the meager data at this disposal, he clearly qualifies as a visionary genius. As you might expect, NOAA has some very right and proper history of the Weather Service. This article by NOAA is billed as a description of the Signal Corps by Mr. Abbe. It's a lot more than that. Makes for excellent reading if you are a history buff.

Speaking of history, it's worth noting that the weather service's birth predates the designation of Yellowstone as a National Park! Think of it this way, when the Weather Service was born, General George Armstrong Custer still had about 6 years of his life left to live. That kind of puts it into perspective.