Weather forecasting and broadcasts have come a long way
In 1900, the United States Weather Bureau was moved from the War Department to the Department of Agriculture. The first radio weather broadcast was from the University of St. Louis on April, 27, 1921. In 1941, Wooly Lamb began experimenting with television weather reporting in New York for WNBC. Back then, they used hand drawn-maps, puppets and personalities for weather broadcasts. Many of the first television weather people were World War II vets who turned their meteorological skills into jobs in the new TV broadcast industry.
In the 1950s, television learned they could lighten up TV broadcasts and this period became TV weathers wildest and most inhibited period. In St. Louis, a puppet lion gave the nightly forecast. In New York, a sleepy bombshell in a short nightly gave the midnight forecast as she tucked herself into bed. Weary of the direction of TV weather and the possibility for something better, the American Meteorological Society (AMS) sought to rein it in with a system of credentials. Still, David letterman got his start broadcasting the weather at WLW in Indianapolis and ABC news anchor Diane Sawyer landed her first job in 1967 as the weather girl for her hometown TV station in Lawrence, Kansas. She recounts how she wasn鈥檛 allowed to wear her glasses on camera despite terrible eyesight. She could not tell if she was pointing to the west or the east coast on the weather map.
In 1975, Jack Coleman launched with Good Morning America as their weather anchor. Coleman had a vision for weather and television. His dream was a 24-hour cable TV network dedicated to weather. People thought he was crazy. He convinced the National Weather Service to play an important role and launched the Weather Channel on May 2, 1982. At first, it was a big loser, with few viewers and millions of dollars in losses. The Weather Channel struggled for 5 years and when they decided to get 鈥渙ut in the rain鈥� and report from the field Jim Cantore turned the channel around with his live reports on hurricanes. We have all probably seen Jim standing against the winds and rains of a hurricane. The practice has become widespread.
With hurricane Florence coming ashore in North Carolina this past week, teams of weather reporters from all the major networks had their people standing in the water and holding onto trees to show us the effects of these storms. At times, it seemed like a bit much, but who could hold it against Jim Cantore for the passion he brings to the weather report.
Today, the Weather Channel is able to bring live up to the moment weather reports to millions of viewers. Even with all the information that is available to people today, it is sad to see first-responders continue to risk their lives because people do not heed the warnings and continue to 鈥渟tick it out鈥� or drive through flooded streets. Once again, the weather forecasters did an excellent job of forecasting the ever changing Hurricane Florence as to its path, speed, storm surge and rain. As I write this, the rain falling outside was forecast over three days ago. Forecasts continue to get better, but be aware, Mother Nature will always remain fickle.
Close to home who could forget Joe DeNardo from WTAE who visited most of the schools in Southwestern Pennsylvania and who folks trusted with their weather report. As they would say, 鈥淛oe said it would!鈥�