Our Stories

Content with Time Periods Early Growth (1912-1941) .

  • An image of a single-story, gray wooden building with a large white garage door and a white dome on the roof, enclosed partially by a chain-link fence. In the foreground is a gravel lot, and in the background are more airport facilities under an overcast sky. This facility is a weather balloon inflation building operated by the National Weather Service in Nome, Alaska.
    ESSA to NOAA and Environmental Focus (1965-1980), Post-War Expansion (1945-1960), Weather and the War (1942-1945), Early Growth (1912-1941)

    Alaskan Air Inflation Buildings — Form Follows Function

    The design chronology of Alaskan Upper Air Inflation Buildings is a lesson of how form follows function. Read MoreAboutAlaskan Air Inflation Buildings — Form Follows Function »

    View Count: 36
    Publish Date: December 23, 2025

  • Some of the damage in Murphysboro, IL. Photo by the Jackson County (IL) Historical Society.
    Early Growth (1912-1941)

    The Tri-State Tornado of 1925

    The deadliest tornado in U.S. history struck 3 states on March 18, 1925, with southern Illinois hardest hit. Read MoreAboutThe Tri-State Tornado of 1925 »

    View Count: 46015
    Publish Date: March 11, 2020

    tornado

    Tags: tornado
  • Birthday Cake - Celebrating the National Weather Service's 150th Birthday on Feb. 9, 2020
    Becoming a Weather-Ready Nation (Today and Beyond), Revolutionizing Observations, Forecasts & Dissemination (1990-Today), Modernization and Restructuring (1980-1990), ESSA to NOAA and Environmental Focus (1965-1980), The Satellite Age Begins (1960-1965), Post-War Expansion (1945-1960), Weather and the War (1942-1945), Early Growth (1912-1941), The Weather Bureau Rises (1891-1912), Signal Service Years (1870-1891)

    The National Weather Service at 150: A Brief History

    The National Weather Service celebrated its 150th Birthday on February 9, 2020. Read MoreAboutThe National Weather Service at 150: A Brief History »

    View Count: 270913
    Publish Date: February 6, 2020

    satellite, tiros, idss, aviation weather, forecasting, signal service, weather bureau, radiosonde, nws, noaa, upper-air observations, weather-ready nation, science, resilience, readiness, response, partners, history

    Tags: satellite tiros idss aviation weather forecasting signal service weather bureau radiosonde nws noaa upper-air observations weather-ready nation science resilience readiness response partners history
  • Early Growth (1912-1941)

    Close Calls During Weather Flights

    The stories of Frank Knapp, a Weather Bureau pilot during the 1930s. Read MoreAboutClose Calls During Weather Flights »

    View Count: 42287
    Publish Date: January 13, 2020

    aviation, aviation weather, upper-air observations

    Tags: aviation aviation weather upper-air observations
  • Becoming a Weather-Ready Nation (Today and Beyond), Early Growth (1912-1941)

    NWS and AMS: 100 Years of Working Together

    Ever since the founding of the American Meteorological Society, the organization has had an incredibly close relationship with the NWS. Read MoreAboutNWS and AMS: 100 Years of Working Together »

    View Count: 5626
    Publish Date: January 10, 2020

  • A U.S. Weather Bureau employee launches an unmanned, tethered
    Revolutionizing Observations, Forecasts & Dissemination (1990-Today), Early Growth (1912-1941), The Weather Bureau Rises (1891-1912)

    The Trusty Weather Balloon

    While weather instruments to measure the upper atmosphere have changed over the decades, the use of balloons to carry them aloft continues today. Read MoreAboutThe Trusty Weather Balloon »

    View Count: 93318
    Publish Date: December 8, 2019

    upper air

    Tags: upper air
  • A rare photograph of the Tip Top House on Mount Washington's summit, the oldest surviving building on the peak, made of stone blasted from the mountain. Built in 1853, it is the oldest surviving building on the mountain's summit and is now preserved as a museum.
    Early Growth (1912-1941)

    The Mount Washington Observatory

    Aptly named the “Home of the World’s Worst Weather”, the Mount Washington Observatory experiences some of the most extreme weather conditions on record. Read MoreAboutThe Mount Washington Observatory »

    View Count: 12693
    Publish Date: December 2, 2019

    observation, wind, record, weather station, extreme

    Tags: observation wind record weather station extreme
  • Early Growth (1912-1941), The Weather Bureau Rises (1891-1912)

    Isaac Monroe Cline: The Cyclone Pioneer

    Fighting through the blinding rain and powerful winds caused by the Hurricane of 1900, Galveston chief meteorologist Isaac Cline struggled to keep himself and his family alive. Read MoreAboutIsaac Monroe Cline: The Cyclone Pioneer »

    View Count: 10751
    Publish Date: November 20, 2019

    hurricane of 1900, galveston, tropical cyclones, cyclone forecasting, flood warnings

    Tags: hurricane of 1900 galveston tropical cyclones cyclone forecasting flood warnings
  • Bear Mountain Weather Bureau office in 1943. Photo courtesy of NWS Eastern Region Headquarters
    Post-War Expansion (1945-1960), Early Growth (1912-1941)

    The Bear Mountain Weather Bureau Office

    Just north of the New York City metropolitan area, visitors to Bear Mountain State Park can visit an old Weather Bureau office that was established in 1934. Read MoreAboutThe Bear Mountain Weather Bureau Office »

    View Count: 6168
    Publish Date: November 15, 2019

  • A U.S. Navy Vought SU-1 Corsair biplane (BuNo A8872) from Naval Air Station Anacostia takes meteorological measurements in flight on December 13, 1934. The aircraft carries a meteorograph instrument attached to its starboard wing strut to record atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity. This method of data collection was eventually replaced by radiosonde balloons due to the high cost and operational limitations of manned flights during poor weather conditions.
    Weather and the War (1942-1945), Early Growth (1912-1941)

    The Weather Bureau's "Flying Forecasts"

    The Weather Bureau inaugurates "flying forecasts" on December 1, 1918, as the aviation industry expands following World War I. Read MoreAboutThe Weather Bureau's "Flying Forecasts" »

    View Count: 65171
    Publish Date: November 1, 2019

    aviation weather

    Tags: aviation weather
  • Richard G. Hendrickson taking weather observations at his farm in Bridgehampton, New York (2008).
    Early Growth (1912-1941)

    The NWS's Longest Serving Weather Observer

    When Richard G. Hendrickson logged his first weather observation for the U.S. Weather Bureau, the precursor to the National Weather Service, Herbert Hoover occupied the White House. Read MoreAboutThe NWS's Longest Serving Weather Observer »

    View Count: 7899
    Publish Date: October 22, 2019

    coop

    Tags: coop
  • The U.S. Weather Bureau office in Glasgow, Montana, in 1963, an example of the types of smaller offices that existed before the National Weather Service's modernization efforts in the 1990s.
    Revolutionizing Observations, Forecasts & Dissemination (1990-Today), ESSA to NOAA and Environmental Focus (1965-1980), Early Growth (1912-1941), The Weather Bureau Rises (1891-1912), Signal Service Years (1870-1891)

    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 MoreAboutThe Many Faces of a Weather Bureau Office »

    View Count: 7517
    Publish Date: October 17, 2019

  • Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co. switchboards, Washington, D.C., circa 1919. Female operators manage numerous calls by manually connecting patch cables at a busy telephone exchange. (Library of Congress photo)
    Early Growth (1912-1941)

    40,000 Calls a Day via WE6-1212

    In 1939, the Weather Bureau's New York office begins an automated forecast service via telephone, with instant success. Read MoreAbout40,000 Calls a Day via WE6-1212 »

    View Count: 6961
    Publish Date: September 8, 2019

    dissemination, forecasts

    Tags: dissemination forecasts
  • Different sizes of kites used for upper air observations
    Early Growth (1912-1941)

    Weather Bureau Kite Observer Killed

    On August 28, 1919, a Weather Bureau employee at Ellendale, ND, is killed by lightning while assisting with a kite observation. Read MoreAboutWeather Bureau Kite Observer Killed »

    View Count: 40907
    Publish Date: July 20, 2019

  • Dr. Francis W. Reichelderfer
    Early Growth (1912-1941)

    A Half Century of Service

    In early 1941, Dr. Francis W. Reichelderfer writes a letter to Weather Bureau personnel to mark the 50th anniversary of the Weather Bureau as a civilian agency. Read MoreAboutA Half Century of Service »

    View Count: 39494
    Publish Date: July 18, 2019

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