Happy 125th Anniversary to the Blue Hill Observatory!

Posted by Joe Joyce January 30, 2010 at 7:04 pm

The Blue Hill Weather Observatory, in Milton, Massachusetts is the Big Ol’ Grandfather when it comes to the history of weather observations in the United States. Located atop Great Blue Hill about 10 miles (16 km) south of Boston, Massachusetts, it is home to the oldest continuous weather record in North America, and was the location of the earliest kite soundings of the atmosphere in North America in the 1890s, as well as the development of the radiosonde in the 1930s.

Founded by Abbott Lawrence Rotch in 1884, the observatory took a leading role in the newly emerging science of meteorology and was the scene of many of the first scientific measurements of upper atmosphere weather conditions, using kites to carry weather instruments aloft. Knowledge of wind velocities, air temperature and relative humidity at various levels came into use as vital elements in weather prediction due to techniques developed at this site. By 1895 the observatory was the source of weather forecasts of remarkable accuracy.

The observatory remains active to this day, continuing to add to its data base of weather observations now more than one hundred years old, and stands as a monument to the science of meteorology in the United States.

On Sunday the celebration will continue with an Open House at the Observatory with special presentations on Blue Hill history and the weather of the last 125 years. They have guided tours. It is a great place to take the kids to learn about weather.

Inside…A Comprehensive look into the 125 years of recording weather at the Blue Hill Weather Observatory

1776 An act of the Massachusetts legislature declared that the summit be named Great Blue Hill. Beacons were established and the summit was used as a vantage point during the Revolutionary War.
1778 May 30 Construction began on a forty-foot stone and wood observing platform. It was blown down four years later, rebuilt, and remained for many years.
1830 A state trigonometric survey precisely established the position of Great Blue Hill and the height above mean sea level as 193.69 m (635.05 feet).
1845 July U.S. Coast Survey Corps of Engineers opened a new road to the summit near the site of the current road.
1861 Founder of the Blue Hill Observatory, Abbott Lawrence Rotch, was born in Boston.
1884 May Rotch graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in engineering.
1884 Aug 5 Rotch first documented the idea of building a weather observatory on Great Blue Hill.
1884 Sep 1 Construction began on the original observatory, which consisted of a two-story tower and living quarters.
1885 Feb 1 The Observatory was occupied and official daily observations began on the summit.
1886 Jan A Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder, the first of its kind in the United States was first used. It remained in service until it was stolen in June, 1995? and replaced with a modern reproduction. The original was recovered and is stored in the Observatory museum.
1887 Dec The oldest mercury barometer still in daily use at the Observatory was put into service.
1889 A new east wing library was opened.
1893 The Metropolitan District Commission acquired land around Blue Hill for parkland that would become the Blue Hill Reservation.
1894 Aug 4 The first atmospheric sounding in the world was accomplished at Blue Hill with a kite carrying a thermograph to a height of 2030 feet above mean sea level.
1900 Jul 19 The highest kite sounding was made from Blue Hill to a height of 4,815 m (15,790 feet).
1902 A west wing was added to the living quarters that became the Observatory library.
1905 A concrete wall and iron fence were erected around the Observatory.
1906 Sep 1 Rotch was appointed Professor of Meteorology at Harvard.
1908 Jun 4 A new three-story concrete tower, replacing the original tower, was completed.
1912 Apr 7 Abbott Lawrence Rotch died. The Observatory program was taken over by Harvard University.
1913 Oct 1 Alexander George McAdie was appointed as the new director of the Observatory.
1914 Jan 16 Electric lights were first put into use at the Observatory.
1931 Charles Franklin Brooks, founder of the American Meteorological Society in 1919, became the third director of the Observatory.
1932 Oct Mount Washington Observatory was reopened.
1933 Nov 7 Daily radio communications were established between Blue Hill and Mount Washington.
1934 Feb 9 Coldest temperature ever recorded at Blue Hill, -21 degrees F.
1935 Apr 17 The first radio-meteorograph transmission of temperature data from an airplane was received at Blue Hill from a height of 17,000 feet.
1935 Dec 23 The first radio-meteorograph transmission of pressure and temperature data from a balloon was received at Blue Hill from a height of 52,500 feet.
1938 Sep 21 Greatest wind gust recorded at Blue Hill of 186 mph occured from the south during the Great New England Hurricane of 1938. The highest five-minute average wind speed was 121 mph from the south.
1941 Dec 14 The Observatory was occupied by the U.S. Army for several weeks to spot and report airplanes.
1949 Aug 10 Hottest temperature ever recorded at Blue Hill, 101 degrees F. It occured once more in 1975.
1953 Jun 9 Debris from the Worcester tornado was recovered on Blue Hill.
1954 Nov 16 U.S. Air Force Geophysical Research Directorate established a weather radar laboratory on the summit that remained until November, 1961.
1955 Aug 19 The Observatory record for the greatest 24 hour rainfall of 9.93 inches was recorded during Hurricane Diane. The event also established the single storm rainfall record of 12.77 inches.
1957 Sep 1 John H. Conover became acting director of the Observatory and continued until June, 1958.
1958 Jul 1 Richard M. Goody became Blue Hill director.
1958 Oct The Blue Hill Observatory library was transferred from the station to the Gordon McKay Library in Pierce Hall, Harvard University.
1959 Jul 1 The observation program at Blue Hill was taken over by the National Weather Service.
1960 Sep 12 Second highest Blue Hill wind gust of 140 mph was recorded during Hurricane Donna.
1962 The first measurements of airglow, the emission from atomic oxygen during the day, were made at Blue Hill by Goody and John Noxon.
1971 Oct 1 Ownership of the Observatory was passed from Harvard University to the Metropolitan District Commission. Goody retired as director.
1975 Aug 2 Hottest temperature ever recorded at Blue Hill, 101 degrees F.
1976 Jan 1 Blue Hill Observatory was officially listed as a Reference Climatological Station by the World Meteorological Organization due to the length and homogeneity of its climate record.
1980 Sep 27 The Observatory is placed on the National Register of Historic Places’
1981 Jun The Blue Hill Weather Club and Museum was established by Dr. William Minsinger.
1985 Feb 1 Centennial observation day was marked with the rededication of a monument to the Observatory’s founder, Abbott L. Rotch. The stone monument was inscribed with a summary of the Blue Hill weather record for the past century.
1989 Dec The Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory was listed as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Park Service.
1996 Apr 10 Largest Blue Hill seasonal snowfall of 144.4 inches was set in the last storm of the 1995-96 season.
1997 Sep Extensive renovations of the Observatory began.

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