I accept flowers, chocolates, and (because I can't) non-monetary gifts to celebrate the day. February 5th is the day when you should (for once) lay off the local weatherman or weatherwoman! It's a day to show (or verbalize) appreciation for your local weather weenie.
Well, okay, that may not be exactly the purpose of the day. February 5th commemorates the birth of John Jeffries in 1744. Jeffries (pictured left) was one of America's first weather observers began taking daily weather observations in Boston in 1774. So, the day is a day to recognize the men and women who collectively provide Americans with the best weather, water, and climate forecasts and warning services of any nation.
You may be asking, "Why should we appreciate you, Weatherperson? You are always wrong!. Allow me to respond with a hint of sarcasm... "hardy-harr-harr". ;) While we may not always hit the nail of the meteorological head, we *DO* put in a lot of time and effort to predict the future. Arriving hours BEFORE I go on the air, I analyze current atmospheric data (from surface, to thousands of feet into the atmosphere), everything from moisture content, to temperatures to wind speeds and direction, and much more. Then, compare that data to numerical computer model data that attempts to predict what will happen in the chaotic atmosphere across the world. My job is to to try to decipher along these models what will happen not just tonight or tomorrow, but days in advance. The amount of data is overwhelming sometimes, particularly when the weather is "active" and stormy. Let me tell you, I don't just brush off a "hard" forecast....I try my darndest to get as much detail as possible to make sure you know what to expect. That's the challenge, but the excitement of my job IS it's unpredictability.
Forecasts aren't perfect, we know this. So THAT'S why you should, just for one day, understand the frustrations we go through each and every day to try to tell the future with imperfect capabilities. We are still learning how this atmosphere works. We don't understand everything (we don't even fully know how something as frequent as lightning actually works). Trying to predict 7 days away if it will snow in your back yard?? Well, there will be error. When we get a forecast wrong, we don't shrug it off and say "oh well".... instead, we skip going to the grocery store that day...
I'm feeling confident in my forecast for February 5th. So, darn it, I'm going to the grocery store! If you see me, just say hello and wish me a happy weatherperson's day (and chocolates DO help....I create the forecast, ya know!) ;)
To view your favorite weatherperson's forecast, visit our full weather page by clicking here.
To see a write up and more on National Weatherperson's Day from the National Weather Service in St. Louis, MO, click here.
