National Weatherperson's Day

National Weatherperson's Day History

National Weatherperson's Day seeks to honor individuals in the fields of meteorology, weather forecasting, and broadcast meteorology, as well as volunteer storm spotters and observers. Its primary purpose is to acknowledge their contributions to society, which help us navigate the intricate mazes of weather patterns and atmospheric changes while ensuring public safety during weather disturbances.

The special day, also known as Weatherman's Day, was first celebrated in the 1960s. Its date commemorates the birth of Dr. John Jeffries on February 5, 1745, one of America’s first weather observers. Dr. Jeffries pioneered the field of weather observation and began to take daily weather measurements in 1774 in Boston, laying the foundation for the contemporary science of meteorology.

National Weatherperson's Day takes place annually on February 5th.

Top 8 Facts for National Weatherperson's Day in 2026

• The observance of National Weatherperson's Day commemorates the birth of Dr. John Jeffries, a Boston-born physician who became one of the first people in history to record daily weather observations beginning in 1774.
• This holiday was originally established as National Weatherman’s Day but was later updated to the more inclusive National Weatherperson’s Day to honor the significant contributions of women to the field of meteorology.
• Dr. John Jeffries is celebrated for conducting the first weather observations from a balloon in 1784 and for being part of the first duo to cross the English Channel by air in 1785.
• The pioneering aerial exploits of early weather observers like Jeffries served as a primary inspiration for the 2019 biographical adventure film The Aeronauts.
• Most broadcast meteorologists do not use a teleprompter during their segments, instead ad-libbing their entire presentation while navigating a complex green screen that they can only see on off-camera monitors.
• Beyond television personalities, the day recognizes a massive network of over 300,000 volunteers, including SKYWARN storm spotters and cooperative observers who provide critical ground-truth data to the National Weather Service.
• The accuracy of life-saving alerts has improved significantly over time, with the average lead time for tornado warnings nearly doubling from 6 minutes in the early 1990s to approximately 13 minutes today.
• Professionals in the field often specialize in niche areas such as fire meteorology, where they provide incident-specific spot forecasts to help firefighters predict the movement of wildfires.

In the News and Trending for National Weatherperson's Day

Top things to do for National Weatherperson's Day

• Check your local weather forecast. Your local weathercasters work alongside a dedicated team to provide you with the most accurate forecasts.
• Try tracking the weather! Today, forecasters have satellites, doppler radars, and other technological tools that help them monitor and record the weather. See what it was like without smart technology and try tracking the weather with old fashioned tools and tricks.
• Watch a film or series about the weather and how meteorologists track and monitor it. Here are our suggestions:
  Storm Chasers (2007)
  The Weather Man (2005)
  Twister (1996)