5th February: National Weatherperson’s Day

Celebrated on February 5th, National Weatherperson’s Day, which is also known as National Weatherman’s Day, honors all individuals in the fields of meteorology, weather forecasting, and broadcast meteorology. The day also recognizes volunteer storm spotters and observers as well as any others that work in the weather field.

This annual holiday commemorates the birthday of John Jeffries, born on this day in 1744.  Dr. Jeffries, a scientist, and a surgeon are considered to be one of America’s first weather observers.  He kept weather records from 1774 to 1816. Additionally, Jefferies pioneered the field of ballooning in the United States and took his first balloon observation in 1784.

Those being honored during this celebration work hard to accurately forecast and report the always changing, and often unpredictable, weather. Despite all of the new technological advances, meteorologists continue to face challenges in forecasting the weather. Predicting “Mother Nature” and what path she may choose, is a very daunting task even with the most state-of-the-art technology.

Knowing the weather forecast is valuable to us in so many ways. We often look at the forecast to plan our activities for the upcoming days. It affects what we do, how we dress, where we go or even if we go at all.   Being prepared for upcoming storms, hurricanes or tornadoes saves lives.

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