Honoring Weather Forecasters Today

Today is National Weatherman's Day, which honors the men and women whose jobs it is to accurately predict the weather.

It’s funny how even though they have nothing to do with it, they always seem to get blamed for bad weather. All they’re doing is putting together all the scientific information they’ve got and basing their predictions on the most likely result. But even today with all the major advances in technology and computers, forecasting the weather is still a tricky business.

Snow is the biggest concern we have in this part of the country. Flooding is also a factor, as people in West Seneca, Gowanda and Silver Creek have experienced in recent years. But in areas of the country prone to tornadoes and hurricanes, making accurate predictions on the weather can save lives. It also affects how we dress, where we go and even if we go.

Weatherman's Day comes on the birthdate of John Jeffries, one of America's first weathermen. Jeffries was born on February 5, 1744. He was the first to keep track of weather observations for more than 40 years between 1774 and 1816.