Always celebrated on February 5th, National Weatherperson’s Day, which is also know as, National Weatherman’s Day, is a day to honor all individuals in the fields of meteorology, weather forecasting and broadcast meteorology. Volunteer storm spotters and observers are also honored on this day as well as any others that work in the weather field.
This annual holiday commemorates the birthday of John Jeffries who was born on this day in 1744. Dr. Jeffries, a scientist and a surgeon, is considered to be one of America’s first weather observers. He kept weather records from 1774 to 1816. Jeffries took his first balloon observation in 1784.
Those being honored on National Weatherperson’s Day work hard to accurately forecast and report the always changing, and often unpredictable, weather. With all of the new technological advances, forecasting the weather is still a very difficult business. 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 very important to us in so many ways. We often look to the forecast to plan our activities for 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 can save lives.