From fires to floods: Feb. 5 is your chance to thank the weatherperson

Your local weather authorities have been quite busy of late. There were the summer wildfires, the 2025 drought, and then the December floods.

Feb. 5 is National Weatherperson’s Day, honoring those who deliver world-class weather, water, and climate forecasts and warnings to Americans.

On this date, National Weatherperson’s Day honors the birth of one of America’s first weather observers — John Jeffries in 1744. He began taking daily weather observations in Boston in 1774 and took the first weather balloon observation in 1784.

Behind every forecast: NWS meteorologists, TV anchors, thousands of volunteers

Today, you can get a weather forecast from many resources, such as on TV or radio, on a website, or on a smartphone app. Behind those forecasts are dedicated meteorologists and weather anchors helping you plan your day and issuing warnings to help keep you safe.

Weather forecast information starts with National Weather Service meteorologists working around the clock. They use weather data and forecast guidance to issue public weather, river, marine, and aviation forecasts. They also provide climatic data to engineers, utilities, and researchers, and they support firefighters confronting wildfires and emergency managers addressing all kinds of hazards.

Others involved in the nation’s weather establishment include 9,f000 volunteer Cooperative Observers who measure daily temperature and precipitation, 400,000 volunteer Skywarn weather spotters, thousands of volunteer amateur radio operators, and citizen observers in the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow network.

TV weather anchors are the most visible members of America’s weather team. Commercial weather companies provide tailor-made forecast information for clients. They all use National Weather Service data to share forecast and warning information on TV, radio, the web, and through mobile apps.

And finally, researchers develop ways to further enhance forecast and warning accuracy. So on Feb. 5, National Weatherperson’s Day, take the opportunity to offer gratitude to your local weather authorities.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. Follow him on X and Bluesky. Read more of his stories here.