Areas of Severe Thunderstorms and Excessive Rainfall Sunday

Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms may pose a risk for damaging wind gusts over the Carolinas, southeast Virginia, and the Tennessee Valley Sunday afternoon then the northern Plains from late afternoon into Sunday night. Monsoonal thunderstorms may cause locally considerable flash, urban, and small stream flooding in the Southwest U.S. the next few days. Read More >

History of the Smithsonian Institute's involvement in the Cooperative Observation Program

Joseph Henry's first major project at the Smithsonian was his plan to obtain weather reports from a countrywide network of voluntary observers; his plan is detailed in the Institution's 1848 Annual Report. Voluminous reports, maps, tables, and charts were prepared and published on all phases of the work -- rainfall, snowfall, temperatures, barometric pressure, storms, meteors, auroras, and other phenomena.

In 1869, when Congress established the Weather Bureau of the United States Signal Service, the Smithsonian system of meteorological reports was turned over to the new bureau.

The Smithsonian continued to work on the material collected up to the time of transfer, however, and over the next few years issued reports, tables, and maps.

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Areas of Severe Thunderstorms and Excessive Rainfall Sunday

Observation Programs