I was watching The Weather Channel this evening talking about the 1st weather satellite (TIROS) launched on this day in 1960. I was only in the 7th grade at the time, but already knew what career path I'd be on. I became the Hammond, Ind. weather observer for Harry Volkman (WMAQ-TV Chicago) in 1961 and worked my way into broadcasting in Feb. 1971. By then, the weather satellites were better and my TV station (Ch. 13 in Tampa) had their own receiver (Earth station) that tracked the polar orbiting Nimbus & ESSA satellites in real time. We couldn't loop the photos until the Goes series was launched in the mid to late 70s and computer graphics began to appear in the nightly TV weathercasts. I started using paper maps at Ch. 8 in 1978, and was the first local weathercaster to switched to computer graphics in 1980. Looking at weather broadcasts now, with animated satellite, radars & computer models is truly amazing. What a technological improvement during the past 50-60 years. I'm glad I was one of the pioneers because I really appreciate how far we've come since 1971. The "kids" doing TV weather now take for granted the tools we "old-timers" could only dream about...yet we did fairly well forecasting back then. Nobody went to their cell phones for the 10 day or hourly forecast! Oh memories, they are beautiful and yet...
A fast moving upper disturbance will fly through over night bringing some clouds and a few brief showers. Tuesday & Wednesday should be almost perfect with all day sunshine & highs 70-75 after comfy cool starts. Another upper system will bring us a shower threat by midday on Thursday, but no cold air follows it. Our next real cold front won't arrive until sometime in the middle of next week. Enjoy Spring! Stay tuned!
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