148 years ago, Wilmington began longest continuous set of complete weather observations in NC
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — 148 years ago today, Wilmington began the longest continuous set of complete weather observations, being tracked each of the 54,056 days since.
On April 1, 1874 the Wilmington Weather Bureau was located at the corner of Front Street and Princess Street.
The former building has since been torn down.
Wilmington weather records began in 1870 but only included precipitation until 1874, when temperatures and winds — along with several other parameters — were added.
Steven Pfaff with the Wilmington National Weather Service says the observations are very important.
“You can have the best model or prediction system in the world, but if you don’t give it a starting point with observations, then it won’t know where to carry on forward out in time,” Pfaff said.
The Weather Bureau was renamed the National Weather Service in 1970 and moved to its current location on Gardner Drive near the Wilmington International Airport in 1994.
