When planning an event or even going about our daily routine, we usually check the weather forecast before leaving the house. This is done to ensure that we are prepared before heading outside, whether it’s for school, college, work, or errands. Checking the weather helps us to know when to bring an umbrella, when to wear thicker clothes, or when to plan that outdoor party.
Such important information is provided for us by a weather person. Since this job provides a great service, there is a day where they recognize individuals in this field, at least within the United States.
The Person Behind the Date
February 5th is the National Weatherperson’s Day celebrated in the United States. The celebration commemorates the birth of John Jeffries, who is considered to be the first person to ever record the weather in 1774. Jeffries was a Boston physician by profession, along with being a scientist and surgeon. He made weather observations, collected data and recorded them.
Jeffries did this every day and now it has become part of our everyday lives. Jefferies was also among the very first human beings, along with Jean-Pierre Blanchard, to fly in a balloon over London across the English Channel. On this trip, he carried a thermometer, a barometer, and a hygrometer to the height of 9000 feet just to take weather observations. He kept weather records from 1774 to 1816.
Remembering Other Contributions
Aside from remembering the contributions of John Jeffries, National Weatherperson’s Day also honors those who work in the field of meteorology from the storm spotters to the people you see on camera. Overall, this is a day to recognize those people who collectively provide us with accurate weather and climate forecasts, as well as warning signals for upcoming storms, hurricanes, and the likes.
National Weatherperson’s Day celebrates the science of meteorology and encourages people to pay tribute to the men and women who forecast and broadcasts weather-related information and warnings every single day of the year. This day also honors the men and women who go on the field to take storm, typhoon, and earthquake reports. These are the people who sometimes even risk their lives in order to gather climate or weather information and to be able to alert the public about severe weather conditions.
Why the Weather Forecast is Important
Learning more and listening to the weather patterns plus staying updated about meteorological events is essential in many ways. Knowing the weather forecast enables us to set a routine or take some definite steps to ensure our safety.
We should not forget the dedicated local and international meteorologists and weather forecasters who vigilantly create forecasts to help us plan our day. They continuously issue warnings to help us keep safe or help us plan our activities for the upcoming days. The daily weather affects what we do, how we dress, where we go or if we even get to go somewhere at all.
The men and women at our local Weather Service forecast office collect the raw weather data to be able to issue weather forecasts and warnings in order to protect life and property. The extensive climate data records can help architects, researchers, engineers, and utility workers to plan ahead in cases of any upcoming severe weather conditions.
Making Preparations
With the weathermen doing their job properly, the whole population can take any necessary precautions according to the weather. For instance, if you’re planning a picnic some day but the weather forecast tells you there’s a high chance of rain, you might change your plans altogether. This will prevent you from getting your day ruined after so much planning. However, if the forecast mentions only a small or average chance of rain, you might decide to take the risk. You will definitely be packing some tarps, raincoats, and umbrellas though.
Accurate weather forecasts are even more important when you’re planning to travel somewhere. Whether this is within the country or an international trip, checking the weather beforehand is always a good idea. This way, you’ll know just what to pack in order to ensure that your trip isn’t spoilt.
On a more serious note, there have been many instances where the weather people warned us of an incoming storm, hurricane, flood, tornado, etc. While there’s nothing we can do to stop these disasters from occurring, knowledge about them counts for a lot. The little time we get before disaster strikes is of the utmost importance, as we can stock up on perishable food items and figure out a safety plan.
If the weatherman predicts a serious problem coming up, we might have enough information to evacuate an area before the storm arrives. This could help save many lives. The same goes for building shelters, practicing drills, and ensuring that all our emergency kits are up to date.
What’s more, staying updated about the weather can also come in useful for long-term planning. If we know that an area will receive a decent amount of sun or wind over a certain period of time, we can look into renewable energy sources for our homes and other buildings. Those considering solar panels will find such information especially handy. You can also gauge the best place to install solar panels this way.
How to Honor National Weatherman Day
While you may not notice huge parades or anything else special on this date, it might be a good idea to take some steps in that direction yourself. The more we appreciate weathermen and their service to our country, the higher their motivation will be.
If you’re a parent, ask your kids’ school if they can invite a weatherman over on that particular day. He or she can then tell the children about their job, why it’s so important, and what they can look forward to within this field in the future. It might also be a good idea to get the children involved in making charts, projects, and other tasks related to the weather.
Conclusion
Now that you know about National Weatherman Day and why it’s so important, make sure to thank all of the meteorologists and weatherpersons for the hard work they do every single day. If you are a science teacher or have young adults in your life, encourage your charges to look at meteorology as a career option.
Those being honored on National Weatherperson’s Day work hard to precisely forecast and report the always changing and unpredictable weather. Even with all of the new technological advances, forecasting is still a challenging business. It’s quite a large call to predict what Mother Nature has in store for us. This is why those working with weather forecasts deserve a special day of their own.