Our Stories (old) - National Weather Service Heritage
Content with Time Periods Signal Service Years (1870-1891) .
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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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Out of Thin Air: The History and Evolution of Upper-Air Observations
A practice that can be dated as far back as the 18th century, when Benjamin Franklin flew a kite in a thunderstorm to prove the electrical nature of lightning, upper-air observations have been indispensable to meteorologists for hundreds of years. Read More »
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The First Synchronized Weather Observations
On November 1, 1870, the Signal Service inaugurates its new weather observation network. Read More »
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The Great Midwest Wildfires of 1871
From Sunday, October 8 through Tuesday, October 10, 1871 wildfires claimed thousands of lives and destroyed millions of acres across the Upper Midwest. Read More »
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Oral History: A Look Back with Hurricane Forecaster Ed Rappaport
Hear from Ed Rappaport, legendary hurricane forecaster, as he reflects on his time at the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Read More »
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The Daily Weather Map
While many changes have occurred over the history of the National Weather Service, one constant has been the Daily Weather Map. Read More »
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The Many Faces of a Weather Bureau Office
The Weather Bureau sets up shop in whatever facility they can find -- not always a fancy government building, either. Read More »
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John P. Finley's Rules for Tornado Forecasting
Signal Corps Sgt. John P. Finley extensively studies tornadoes in the 1870's and 1880's, coming up with 15 rules for tornado forecasting. Read More »
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A Brief History of Signal Flags
In 1881, the Signal Service expands its forecast relay methods to include visual displays. Read More »
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The Blizzards of 1888
Two blizzards, one in January 1888 that struck the northern Plains and a second in March, would forever change the face of weather forecasting. Read More »