NWS Bismarck Office History
Serving North Dakota for over 130 years!
The
Bismarck Weather Office began official observation duties on September 15, 1874 from a
two-room house on the corner of Main and Third streets (not shown).
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| As part
of the Signal Corps, the office moved four times, ending up at Camp Hancock (pictured
above left). When the civilian U.S. Weather Bureau was created under the Department of
Agriculture in 1891, the office was moved to the First National Bank building (pictured
above right). In 1894, it moved back to Camp Hancock. |
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In 1939, the office
was moved to the terminal building at the Municipal Airport. Radiosonde balloon
observations of the upper atmosphere began from this location on July 7th of that same
year. |
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| In 1970
the Weather Bureau's name was changed to "The National Weather Service" and the
agency became part of NOAA. A new office was built in 1973 on the southwest side of the
airport. While at this location, the WSR 74-C radar was commissioned, NOAA Weather Radio
was installed, and the office entered the computer age with the installation of AFOS
(Automation of Field Operations & Services). |
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The National Weather
Service began a modernization program in 1990. A new building was built
in 1994 next to the old one. This building was specifically designed to house not only the
employees, but also radar equipment and numerous computers. Since the move, the WSR 88-D
Doppler radar and the Automated Surface Observation System were commissioned, NOAA
Weather Radio was computerized, and AFOS was replaced by AWIPS (the Advanced
Interactive Weather Processing System). |
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