The First Weather Warning

 

The First Weather Warning (NOAA)

 

November 8th, 1870 - November 8 marks the anniversary of the issuance of the first official weather warning in the United States. On November 8, 1870, Increase A. Lapham was appointed Assistant to the Chief Signal Officer of the newly created meteorological division of the Signal Service (later the U.S. Weather Bureau and then the Nataional Weather Service). With this appointment, Lapham was also put in charge of the warning service for the Great Lakes.

Professor Increase A. Lapham believed that warnings of deadly storms on the Great Lakes could be derived from telegraphed weather observations.  A bill was introduced and signed into law to establish a national telegraphic weather service.  The Signal Corps began taking observations of November 1, 1870 and issued the first storm warning on this date. (NOAA)