History of National Weather Service in Timeline
The National Weather Service (NWS) is a US federal agency responsible for providing weather forecasts, hazardous weather warnings, and related information to protect life and property. It operates under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within the Department of Commerce. Formerly known as the United States Weather Bureau (1891-1970), the NWS is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland. Its core mission encompasses issuing forecasts, watches, and warnings related to various weather phenomena, including severe storms, hurricanes, floods, and heatwaves, ensuring public safety and supporting informed decision-making across various sectors.
1937: First Weather Bureau Radiosonde Launch
In 1937, the Weather Bureau launched its first radiosonde in Massachusetts, leading to the transition from aircraft observation to radiosondes within two years.
1938: Initial Dissemination of Tornado Warnings
In 1938, the Weather Bureau began disseminating tornado warnings exclusively to emergency management personnel, a reversal of the prior prohibition on the word "tornado" in weather products.
1940: Weather Bureau Moved to Department of Commerce
In 1940, the Weather Bureau was moved to the Department of Commerce.
1941: First Female Statistician Hired
In 1941, Margaret Smagorinsky was hired as the Weather Bureau's first female statistician.
September 23, 1946: First River Forecast Center Founded
On September 23, 1946, the first River Forecast Center (RFC) was founded.
1948: Pioneering of Tornado Forecasts
In 1948, Air Force Capt. Robert C. Miller and Major Ernest Fawbush pioneered tornado forecasts.
July 12, 1950: Ban on Public Tornado Alerts Lifted
On July 12, 1950, Bureau chief Francis W. Reichelderfer officially lifted the agency's ban on public tornado alerts.
March 1952: First Experimental Public Tornado Forecasts
In March 1952, the Weather Bureau issued its first experimental public tornado forecasts after facing criticism for preventing the release of tornado forecasts beyond military personnel.
1957: Use of Radar for Forecasting
In 1957, the Weather Bureau began using radars for short-term forecasting of local storms and hydrological events, deploying the WSR-57 radar network nationwide.
August 1966: Weather Bureau Becomes Part of ESSA
In August 1966, the Weather Bureau became part of the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) when that agency was formed.
October 1, 1970: ESSA Renamed NOAA, Weather Bureau Becomes NWS
On October 1, 1970, the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) was renamed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Weather Bureau became the National Weather Service.
1970: National Weather Service Name Change
In 1970, the United States Weather Bureau officially adopted its current name, the National Weather Service (NWS).
1974: Radar Upgrades
Beginning in 1974, some WSR-57 radars were upgraded to WSR-74 models.
1983: Failed proposal to privatize weather data
In 1983, NOAA administrator John V. Byrne proposed to auction off all weather satellites and outsource weather observation stations. The proposal failed due to congressional vote.
1983: Proposal to Sell Weather Satellites
In 1983, the Reagan administration and NOAA administrator John V. Byrne proposed to sell all of the agency's weather satellites at auction, which ultimately failed in a Congressional vote.
1988: NEXRAD System Deployment Begins
Between 1988 and 1997, the NEXRAD (Next Generation Radar) system, consisting of Doppler radars, was deployed to replace the WSR-57 and WSR-74 systems.
1997: NEXRAD System Deployment Completion
Between 1988 and 1997, the NEXRAD (Next Generation Radar) system, consisting of Doppler radars, was deployed to replace the WSR-57 and WSR-74 systems. Deployment completed in 1997.
1997: Full Deployment of WSR-88D Doppler Weather Radar System
By 1997, the WSR-88D Doppler weather radar system, also known as NEXRAD, was fully deployed throughout the majority of the United States.
October 2000: Establishment of NOAA Weather Wire Service
In October 2000, the NOAA Weather Wire Service (NWWS) was established to provide timely delivery of meteorological, hydrological, climatological, and geophysical information.
2005: Introduction of the National Weather Service Duties Act of 2005
In 2005, Senator Rick Santorum introduced the National Weather Service Duties Act of 2005, a bill which would have prohibited the NWS from freely distributing weather data, but it died in committee.
September 30, 2007: End of Geopolitical Boundary Warnings
Until September 30, 2007, local offices of the National Weather Service issued warnings for severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, flash flooding and marine hazards using geopolitical boundaries.
October 1, 2007: Implementation of Storm-Based Warnings
On October 1, 2007, the NWS implemented storm-based warnings, delineating alerts for meteorological or hydrological threats by polygonal shapes in map-based weather hazard products.
2015: Expansion of Impact Based Warning System
By the spring of 2015, the Impact Based Warning system expanded to 80 Weather Forecast Offices overseen by the Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Region Headquarters.
2016: National Weather Service Organization Structure
As of 2016, the National Weather Service had a defined organizational structure.
2016: Criticism of NWS Forecast Accuracy
In 2016, criticisms arose that NWS forecasts were not as accurate as they could be, leading to inaccurate daily weather forecasts and poor predictions of extreme weather events.
2016: Announcement to Develop the Next Generation Global Prediction System
In 2016, the NOAA announced to develop The Next Generation Global Prediction System to run a unified high-quality model that takes advantage of more recent research results.
2016: Increased Computational Power of Supercomputers
In 2016, the NWS significantly increased the computational power of its supercomputers, spending $44 million on two new supercomputers from Cray and IBM, increasing power from 776 teraflops to 5.78 petaflops.
