History of National Weather Service in Timeline

The National Weather Service (NWS) is a U.S. 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) and the Department of Commerce. Formerly known as the United States Weather Bureau, the NWS adopted its current name in 1970. Its mission is to provide weather, water, and climate data, forecasts and warnings for the protection of life and property and enhancement of the national economy.

1937: First Weather Bureau Radiosonde Launch

In 1937, the first Weather Bureau radiosonde was launched in Massachusetts. This event led to a shift from routine aircraft observation to radiosondes within two years.

1938: Dissemination of Tornado Warnings

In 1938, the Weather Bureau began disseminating tornado warnings exclusively to emergency management personnel. This was after initially prohibiting the use of the word "tornado" in weather products due to concerns about inciting panic.

1940: Move to Department of Commerce

In 1940, the Weather Bureau was moved to the Department of Commerce.

1941: First Female Statistician

In 1941, Margaret Smagorinsky (née Knoepfel) was hired as the Weather Bureau's first female statistician.

September 23, 1946: Founding of First River Forecast Center

On September 23, 1946, the first River Forecast Center (RFC) was founded.

1948: Pioneering of Tornado Forecasts by USAF

In 1948, Air Force Capt. Robert C. Miller and Major Ernest Fawbush pioneered tornado forecasts at the USAF Severe Weather Warning Center.

July 12, 1950: Official Lifting of Ban on Public Tornado Alerts

On July 12, 1950, Bureau chief Francis W. Reichelderfer officially lifted the agency's ban on public tornado alerts via a Circular Letter, advising employees to not negate the Bureau's willingness to issue tornado forecasts given the inherent difficulties in predicting tornadic activity.

March 1952: First Experimental Public Tornado Forecasts

In March 1952, the Bureau issued its first experimental public tornado forecasts, following criticism for refusing to provide public tornado warnings and preventing the release of the USAF Severe Weather Warning Center's tornado forecasts beyond military personnel.

1957: Use of Radars for Short-Term Forecasting

In 1957, the Bureau began using radars for short-term forecasting of local storms and hydrological events, using modified versions of those used by Navy aircraft to create the WSR-57 (Weather Surveillance Radar, 1957), with a network of WSR systems being deployed nationwide through the early 1960s.

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: Renaming to NOAA and National Weather Service

On October 1, 1970, the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) was renamed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with the enactment of the National Environmental Policy Act. At this time, the Weather Bureau became the National Weather Service.

1970: Name Change to National Weather Service

In 1970, the United States Weather Bureau adopted its current name, the National Weather Service (NWS). This occurred as part of a broader reorganization that saw the Environmental Science Services Administration renamed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

1974: Radar Upgrades to WSR-74 Models

Beginning in 1974, some of the WSR-57 radars were upgraded to WSR-74 models.

1983: Proposed Sale of Weather Satellites

In 1983, NOAA administrator John V. Byrne proposed to auction off all of the weather satellites, to repurchase data from private buyers, outsourcing weather observation stations, NOAA Weather Radio and computerized surface analysis to private companies, but the proposal failed in a Congressional vote.

1988: NEXRAD System Deployment

Between 1988 and 1997, the NEXRAD (Next Generation Radar) system, comprised of Doppler radars designed to enhance the detection and warning time for severe local storms, was deployed to replace the WSR-57 and WSR-74 systems.

1997: NEXRAD System Deployment

1997: Full Deployment of WSR-88D Doppler Weather Radar

By 1997, the WSR-88D Doppler weather radar system (also called NEXRAD) was fully deployed throughout the majority of the United States. This technology became the cornerstone of the agency's severe weather warning operations.

October 2000: Establishment of NOAA Weather Wire Service

In October 2000, the NOAA Weather Wire Service (NWWS) was established as a satellite data collection and dissemination system operated by the National Weather Service.

2005: Introduction of National Weather Service Duties Act

In 2005, Pennsylvania 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. The bill attracted no cosponsors, and died in committee during the 2005 Congressional session.

September 30, 2007: End of Warning Issuance via Geopolitical Boundaries

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 implementation of storm-based warnings saw alerts for meteorological or hydrological threats delineated by polygonal shapes in map-based weather hazard products.

April 2012: Introduction of Impact Based Warning System

In April 2012, the NWS introduced the Impact Based Warning system at its Weather Forecast Offices in Wichita and Topeka, Kansas, and Springfield, St. Louis and Kansas City/Pleasant Hill, Missouri.

2015: Expansion of Impact Based Warning System

By the spring of 2015, the Impact Based Warning system would expand to 80 Weather Forecast Offices overseen by the Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Region Headquarters.

2016: National Weather Service Organization

As of 2016, the National Weather Service was organized as follows.

2016: Criticism of NWS Forecast Accuracy

In 2016, critics such as University of Washington professor Cliff Mass have claimed that NWS forecasts are not as accurate as they could be, and that this has resulted in inaccurate daily weather forecasts and dangerously bad predictions concerning the location and intensity of extreme weather events.

2016: Development of The Next Generation Global Prediction System

In 2016, the NOAA announced to develop The Next Generation Global Prediction System.

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. This was driven by the relatively lower accuracy of NWS' Global Forecast System (GFS) numerical weather prediction model.

2025: Impact of NOAA Cuts Under Trump Administration

In 2025, the National Weather Service was deeply affected by cuts to NOAA under the second presidency of Donald Trump, including staff being laid off, contracts with universities being cancelled, and restrictions on exchanges with other national weather services. Entering hurricane season, 30 National Weather Service offices are without a chief meteorologist, in part due to Trump administration layoffs.