Happy National Weatherperson's Day! Always celebrated on February 5th, today, which is also known as National Weatherman’s Day, honors any and all individuals in the fields of meteorology, weather forecasting, and broadcast meteorology.
The day also recognizes volunteer storm spotters and observers as well as any others that work in the weather field.
Click play below to listen to the story on why we celebrate National Weatherperson’s Day as told by the founder of National Day Calendar®, Marlo Anderson.
This annual holiday commemorates the birthday of Boston physician, scientist, and a military surgeon Dr. John Jeffries, born on this day in 1745. He was also with the British Army in Nova Scotia and New York during the American Revolution. Dr. Jeffries is considered to be one of America’s first weather observers. He had kept weather records from 1774 to 1816.
Additionally, Jeffries pioneered the field of ballooning in the United States and took his first balloon observation in 1784. He is best known for accompanying French inventor Jean-Pierre Blanchard on his 1785 balloon flight across the English Channel.
Those being honored during this celebration work hard to accurately forecast and report the always changing, and often unpredictable, weather.
Despite all of the new technological advances, meteorologists continue to face challenges in forecasting the weather. Predicting “Mother Nature” and what path she may choose, is a very daunting task even with the most state-of-the-art technology.
Knowing the weather forecast is valuable to us in so many ways. We often look at the forecast to plan our activities for the upcoming days. It affects what we do, how we dress, where we go or even if we go at all. Being prepared for upcoming storms, hurricanes or tornadoes saves lives.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE:
“The primary mission of the Weather Service (NWS) forecast office is to provide the American public with the best possible warning service to save lives. Recent severe weather statistics show that we continue to improve our capability to warn the public of impending hazardous weather.
Nationally lead time for flash flood warnings improved from twenty-two minutes in 1993 to seventy-eight minutes in 2008. Accuracy over the same time period increased from seventy-one percent to ninety-one percent. Lead time for tornado warnings has increased from six minutes in 1993 to thirteen minutes today. Tornado warning accuracy increased from forty-three percent to seventy-two percent. Winter storm accuracy in 2008 was eighty-nine percent with an average lead time of seventeen hours. Since 1990, the Tropical Prediction Center’s twenty-four to seventy-two-hour tropical storm forecast track errors have been reduced by more than fifty percent. These more accurate and longer lead time warnings help communities stay safe.”
Thank your local weatherperson. It may be the person you turn to on the news to keep you up to date on the latest storms. Or, it may also be the storm spotters who report to the National Weather Service. Their warnings alert us to more imminent dangers that impact our lives and livelihoods.
Consider how weather impacts our daily lives and how much you appreciate an accurate forecast whenever possible. Share your experiences and give a shout out to the weatherperson doing an outstanding job in your area!
Use #WeatherpersonsDay to post on social media.
The day commemorates the birth of Dr.Jeffries, one of America’s first weather observers. The day has been celebrated for more than four decades.
How can you thank or observe a weatherperson today?
