February 5 is National Weather Person’s Day.

The annual holiday celebrates all individuals in the fields of meteorology, weather forecasting, broadcast meteorology, as well as volunteer storm spotters and observers.  The weather enterprise is vast and this day celebrates all that participate in it from all walks of life.

The date commemorates the birth of Dr. John Jeffries, a Boston physician and one of America’s first weathermen. He was born on Feb 5, 1744 and kept weather records from 1774 to 1816.

Dr. Jeffries took the first balloon weather observation over London in 1784. He carried a thermometer, a barometer, and a hygrometer to the height of 9,000 feet.

Beyond celebrating those that work in the meteorology worlds, this is also  a day to recognize the men and women who collectively provide Americans with the best weather, water, and climate forecasts and warning services of any nation on Earth.