WEATHER INSTRUMENT HISTORY eather is described as the state of the atmosphere and to additionally display weather phenomena. A network of radar more generally that part in which life can exist. The sites was established throughout the United States in the 1950’s to Wmost common variables, which present a reference to provide timely observations and public weather warnings. The more the state of the atmosphere, are temperature, moisture, wind, and complex Doppler weather radar in use today was developed in the barometric pressure. Around the year 340 BC, Aristotle offered in 1960’s before being perfected by his book, “Meteorologica”, detailed writings on what we now observe electrical circuit advancements in as weather. Outside of the unwritten wisdom of early farmers and the 1970’s. hunters, the wind vane direction indicator atop the Tower of the Probably the most significant Winds in Athens, constructed in the second century BC, is likely the achievement in monitoring first atmospheric variable measured. weather by instrumentation is During the middle of the 15th century the German satellite imagery. Thanks to the efforts of scientists and the willing mathematician Cardinal Nicholas deCusa cooperation of President John Kennedy’s administration request invented the hygrometer for measuring for funding, the newly formed National humidity by calculating the weight of Aeronautics and Space Administration wool’s absorbsion of water vapor against (NASA) helped launch the a balance beam. Late in the 16th century Television and Infrared the thermometer was invented to establish a value Observations Satellite (TIROS) 340 BC Meterologica reference for hot and cold degrees. Galileo, Santorio, Drebel and Jones Phillip in April 1960. This technology Fludd all share in the development of today’s most widely used National Weather Service field instruments at Columbia Airport include present continues to improve with weather tool. The thermometer was followed by the invention of weather sensors for temperature, dewpoint, rain, freezing rain, snow and fog, wind visible and infrared coverage 1500’s Hygrometer the mercury barometer around 1640 by Evangelista Torricelli. In speed and direction, visibility and ceiling. blanketing the globe. The 1670, Robert Hooke improved the hygrometer by using the hair ability to process complex strand’s ability to respond to humidity by stretch and contraction. evaporation, thus giving the wet bulb temperature. This instrument amounts of numerical weather 1600’s Thermometer Psychrometers measure the lowering of temperature caused by was attributed to the Scot, William Cullen, in the 1750’s. Joseph data by today’s super computers Henry established the first weather allows mankind to benefit reporting system on behalf of the Mercury and plan unlike any time 1640 Barometer Smithsonian Institution in recorded history. with 150 volunteers Current remote National in locations across Weather sensing techniques 1870 America. President now enable Service started Ulysses Grant meteorologists created the U.S. Signal Balloons & to address 1910 Aircraft used Service on November cloud formation, 1, 1870, which was the precipitation types, lightning beginning of what is now threats, visibility, soil conditions, Radar Sites 1950’s known as the National Weather and evaporation. The library Established Service. Between 1910 and 1930, of information from the the science of using soundings atmosphere provides a resource Doppler 1960’s provided by balloons and aircraft for aviation, agriculture, Radar revealed properties of the atmosphere engineering, marine, public Infrared with height. This three dimensional April safety, transportation, tourism, Observations 1960 analysis became a valuable aid to business, education, and Satellite forecasters and subsequently to research. Perhaps today’s computer generated applications of descendents of the earliest predicting the weather. Radar, used weather instruments will be Phillip Jones Phillip in aircraft positioning, was discovered helpful to your vacation plans this just before the Second World War NWS staff forecaster monitors the Automated Weather Information Processing System (AWIPS) weekend. .