The 1st National Meteorologists Day Is This Weekend — What Is It?

InnovationScienceThe 1st National Meteorologists Day Is This Weekend — What Is It?ByMarshall Shepherd,Senior Contributor.Follow AuthorMay 08, 2026, 07:49am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.The inaugural National Meteorologist's Day is May 9, 2026.Sean PotterYou may be familiar with National Weatherperson’s Day. February 5 honors the birth of one of the nation’s first weather observers. John Jeffries started taking weather observations in Boston around 1774. That day has also become a moment to recognize women and men working in the weather enterprise. However, the inaugural National Meteorologist’s Day is May 9. What is it and is it needed? My colleague Sean Potter has proposed May 9, 2026 as the inaugural National Meteorologists Day. I was curious about his motivation and reached out to him. “For years, many have celebrated “National Weatherperson’s Day” (which began back in the 1970s as “Weatherman’s Day”) as the de facto day of observance for professionals in the field of meteorology,” Potter’s website argued. “The work of degreed meteorologists, however, goes way beyond a daily forecast and those who are involved in meteorology professionally deserve a day that recognizes the scientific discipline and professional training behind the work they do,” It continued. Potter told me this day honors James Pollard Espy, who was a pioneer in American weather science, and the first appointed federal meteorologist. He was appointed to that role in 1842 and his birthday happens to be May 9. According to a Brittanica entry, Espy was also the one of the first meteorologists to give a proper explanation of cloud formation, growth, and associated thermodynamics. He is also credited with being one of the first scientists to use the telegraph for collecting weather observations. Victor Gensini, Northern Illinois University meteorology professor and a lead scientist of Project ICECHIP, ri...