Our Stories (old) - National Weather Service Heritage
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The National Weather Service at 150: A Brief History
The National Weather Service celebrated its 150th Birthday on February 9, 2020. Read More »
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Women in the Weather Bureau During World War II: Virginia Tredinnick Denmark
Virginia Denmark shares her reflections of her time with the Weather Bureau Read More »
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Using Ocean Modeling to Track Nuclear Contamination: NWS Responds to the Fukushima Daiichi Disaster - Part 1
While the mission of the NWS is focused on domestic climate and environmental efforts, catastrophic weather events happen worldwide. Read More »
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Using Ocean Modeling to Track the Movement of Nuclear Contamination: NWS Responds to the Fukushima Daiichi Disaster - Part 2
On March 12, 2011, the day after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster occurred, NOAA and the NWS began moving swiftly to determine how to help. Read More »
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Long-Lived and Destructive: The June 29, 2012 Derecho
Prior to June 29, 2012, most people in the Mid Atlantic weren't familiar with the term "derecho". However, that would soon change. Read More »
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The Weather Bureau Begins
Read more about the transfer of the nation's weather service to the Department of Agriculture. Read More »
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Breaking the Ice: The Weather Bureau and the 1960 Olympic Winter Games
For the first time in agency history, the Weather Bureau was approached to provide special weather service to the 1960 Olympic Winter Games in Squaw Valley, California. Read More »
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Oral History: Ken Graham's Unique Path to Becoming NWS Director
In June 2023, Ken Graham celebrated his first anniversary as director of the National Weather Service. His path to the corner office is unique among all directors in the agency’s 153-year history, starting as a meteorological intern right out of college. To better understand how Ken’s career shaped his thinking and approaches to leadership, the NWS Heritage Program conducted a series of oral history interviews with him over the last year. The stories shared during these provide fascinating insights into the events that helped mold his views and laser focus meeting the needs of NWS people, improving NWS infrastructure and transforming our agency to meet the current and future needs of society. Read More »
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Oral History: A Look Back with Dr. Louis W. Uccellini Part 6 - An Impactful Career
Hear from former NWS Director Dr. Louis W. Uccellini, whose federal career spanned 43 years. In this final installment of a six-part oral history series, Uccellini talks about being named NWS director and his first actions in that role, running for President of the World Meteorological Organization, and the leadership challenges faced during his tenure. Read More »
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Oral History: A Look Back with Dr. Louis W. Uccellini Part 5 - Building a Weather Ready Nation
Hear from former NWS Director Dr. Louis W. Uccellini, whose federal career spanned 43 years. In this fifth in a six-part oral history series, Uccellini recalls the development of NOAA’s strategic goal to build a Weather-Ready Nation and the tragic events of 2011 that brought renewed focus on these efforts. Read More »