Here, in his own words, are those of Ron Gird, a meteorologist specializing in education and outreach. Ron retired in 2017.
“Ever since I was a 5-year old child growing up in Boston, Massachusetts, I knew I wanted to become a meteorologist. I experienced two major weather events which determined my career in meteorology: a surprise thunderstorm at a family gathering and Hurricane Carol (1954) passing over our community.
I spent the summer of 1966 working for the NWS (then known as the Weather Bureau - ed.)at their northernmost weather stations, Resolute Bay and Alert, Canada, and it was then that I knew I wanted to work for the National Weather Service. I was a Junior at Penn State and applied to work at NWS as a summer student in their arctic weather stations. Spending the summer months with NWS full-time staff at these two stations gave me a real appreciation for the passion and excellence shown by the NWS staff while working in some of the harshest and most challenging environments on Earth. Regardless of the weather conditions, the NWS staff did their daily work with great passion and determination and got the work done correctly and on time, but most of all they really enjoyed their work. Never did I hear NWS staff complain about the challenging weather conditions they faced daily. I was thrilled when the staff invited me to help launch the daily radiosondes -- this was a real thrill. Meal time was a time to let loose and share daily experiences, the good, the bad and the ugly events of the day. In the land of the “midnight sun”, windows in the sleeping area were painted black in order to block out the sun. There was no local social life in these locations, only the staff on station for 24/7 every day for two months. Talking to the same staff every day could get boring at times.
I remember taking a flight to Thule Air Base, Greenland to pick up supplies for the upcoming winter months. Flying in this region had its special moments -- I recall our landing approach to Resolute Bay, sitting in the jump seat between the two pilots and all we could see was dense fog in front of us, but it did not phase the pilots at all. We never saw the runway until seconds before touchdown. The pilots shrugged it off as just another day at the office. I was so happy to be on solid ground once again!
Most memorable moment: the first time I could grow a beard, though no one thought much of it. Most of the staff grew beards. Additional moments to remember were visiting the local Eskimo village and learning how they survived such harsh conditions. Occasionally we would take hikes to tour the countryside and saw herds of muskox roaming freely.
My two months with NWS staff in the arctic region, filled with a lifetime of memories, was my defining moment for joining the NWS. The dedication and passion shown by the NWS staff was my inspiration to join the premier weather organization in the world. I was honored and thankful to work at NWS , enjoying every moment and every assignment in my career. No regrets.