Friday, February 20, 2009

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Basket Slough

Happy Birthday, U.S. Weather Service

According to the current issue of Weatherwise magazine, the first official US weather forecast was issued 19 February 1871, from the Signal Service of the War Department in Washington, DC.

The term was "probabilities," not forecast, and it was issued by Cleveland Abbe, a meteorologist from Cincinnati.

Here it is:

Synopsis of Weather Report for the Last Twenty-four Hours

The storm of the 18th, which left the East Atlantic coast last night, was followed by a rapid recovery of pressure and high northwest winds. Today a low barometer has prevailed on the Lakes, gradually giving way to the pressure from the South. A pretty decided increase has taken place in the pressure in the southern States, attended by clear weather and clear winds. Humidity has been small in the North-east and on the Atlantic. A steady pressure, with fair weather, holds in the West, but decided fall is reported from San Francisco.

Probabilities
There are no indications of an approaching disturbance in any part of the country. Clear and fair weather is anticipated for to-morrow in the regions south and west of Pennsylvania, clouds and light south and west winds in the Eastern States.