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Presidents and their close relationship with weather through the years

As we celebrate President’s Day, here’s a look back at the role weather played with the office of the president

In our nation’s infancy, the founding fathers knew just how important weather was to our fledgling country. The first handful of presidents were weather observers, with many of them owning thermometers, barometers, and other recording instruments.

After all, we heavily relied on agriculture back during the first years of the United States. And now, more than 200 years later, the weather continues to play a pivotal role when it comes to the highest office in the land. Here’s a look at some of the more interesting connections.

THOMAS JEFFERSON WAS THE “FATHER OF WEATHER OBSERVERS”

You’d be hard-pressed to find meteorological observations from the late 1700s, but there is one source that was fairly consistent: Thomas Jefferson’s weather diary. While Jefferson saw it as his duty, he also appeared to enjoy taking weather observations. In fact, he and President James Madison were known to correspond over the climate.

“My method is to make two observations a day, the one as early as possible in the morning, the other from 3. to 4. [o]clock, because I have found 4. [o]clock the hottest and day light the coldest point of the 24. hours,” he would write in a letter.

Jefferson would end up purchasing nearly 20 thermometers and famously recorded the weather conditions on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia. If you were curious — it was warm. He did miss recording the late-day temperature because he undoubtedly had more important things to take care of.

Thomas Jefferson's weather observations. Courtesy: Library of Congress (Jefferson, T. (1776) Volume 2: Weather Record, -1818. to 1818. [Manuscript/Mixed Material] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/mtjbib026574/.)

BAD WEATHER DURING INAUGURATIONS

With Presidential Inaugurations taking place early in the year, that means dealing with weather across the spectrum. Take the second inauguration of President Ronald Reagan; it was one of the coldest in history. Temperatures plunged into the single digits in Washington D.C., while wind chills fell to around -25 degrees. This forced organizers to move the inauguration inside Capitol Rotunda.

A direct effect of weather impacting a president came with the inauguration of William Henry Harrison. Harrison’s speech lasted one hour and 45 minutes, the longest in history. It was given on a cold March day without a coat or a hat. Some believe he developed pneumonia during the inauguration. The infection claimed his life 32 days later.

William Howard Taft was inaugurated during a driving snowstorm in March of 1909. Heavy snow, strong winds, and even a bit of lightning and thunder were all seen during the event. It was a blown forecast, with the weather bureau promising that the weather would improve for Inauguration Day. Instead, it got worse and Washington D.C. would see 10″ of snowfall. “I always said it would be a cold day when I got to be president,” Taft would later say.

Snowfall during William Howard Taft's inauguration. (Library of Congress)

IMPACTFUL WEATHER EVENTS DURING PRESIDENCIES

Every president has had to deal with significant weather events or natural disasters while serving. Their response to the devastation has always been an important detail closely followed by the voting public. Whether it was the Dust Bowl and President Roosevelt, the 1900 Galveston Hurricane and President McKinley, or President Bush’s response during Hurricane Katrina, in some cases, how the presidents responded impacted how they were viewed historically.

CREATING THE WEATHER BUREAU

President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law in 1870 a joint Congressional Resolution to provide for the military to take weather observations. This came on the heels of the telegraph communicating weather conditions over much of the country. Powerful weather had caused shipping losses across the Great Lakes in years prior and the government was looking for ways to start predicting the weather. In 1890, President Benjamin Harrison moved the weather bureau from a military agency to a civilian agency, under the umbrella of the Department of Agriculture. Meteorological observations become critically important during wartime and for civil aviation, further spurring development. By the 1970s, the National Weather Service was born, with it becoming an important part of the government.

CLIMATE CHANGE

In more recent times, climate change has become a politically charged topic. Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden made it part of their platform, running in support of fighting climate change. Meantime, President Trump argued that the climate change legislation was an overreaction. You can bet that this connection between the weather and the presidents will continue to be an issue for decades to come.


About the Author
Justin Horne headshot

Justin Horne is a meteorologist and reporter for KSAT 12 News. When severe weather rolls through, Justin will hop in the KSAT 12 Storm Chaser to safely bring you the latest weather conditions from across South Texas. On top of delivering an accurate forecast, Justin often reports on one of his favorite topics: Texas history.

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