Timeline History of NWS IND

National Weather Service, Indianapolis Historical Timeline

NWS IND Building

Indianapolis National Weather Service Forecast Office

Weather observations have consisted of daily readings of maximum and minimum temperatures, humidity, wind speed and direction, precipitation, atmospheric pressure and descriptions of weather conditions. Snowfall and snow depth readings began in March of 1884.

February 4, 1871 - U.S. Weather Bureau establishes an office in downtown Indianapolis in Blackford's Block on the southeast corner of Washington and Meridian streets (Latitude 39 deg 46 min N Longitude 86 deg 10 min W).

April 30, 1881 - The Weather Office was relocated to the Saks Building on the southeast corner of Washington and Pennsylvania streets (Latitude 39 deg 46 min N Longitude 86 deg 10 min W) .

September 1, 1896 - Another relocation occurred to the Majestic Building on the northeast corner of Maryland and Pennsylvania streets (Latitude 39 deg 46 min N Longitude 86 deg 10 min W).

July 1, 1915 - A move of the weather office placed it in the Consolidated Building at 115 N. Pennsylvania Street (Latitude 39 deg 46 min N Longitude 86 deg 10 min W) .

April 1, 1931 - A new Weather Office was opened in the administration building at Weir Cook Airport (Latitude 39 deg 44 min N Longitude 86 deg 16 min W) . The office downtown remained open and weather observations were taken at both locations but the official records were the readings from downtown.

October 28, 1938 - The final downtown move occurred when the weather office was moved to the Federal Building , bounded by New York , Pennsylvania , Ohio and Meridian streets (Latitude 39 deg 46 min N Longitude 86 deg 10 min W).

May 1, 1941 - A move of the airport office took place with the new location in the Roscoe Turner Aeronautical Building at the Weir Cook Airport (Latitude 39 deg 44 min N Longitude 86 deg 16 min W) . The hygrothermometer was installed and hourly temperature readings began.

January 1, 1943 - Observations continued to be taken at both the downtown and airport offices, but a switch was made making the Airport observations the Official Records from this point forward.

June 1954 - The weather office located in downtown Indianapolis was officially closed with all operations being consolidated with the Weir Cook Airport Office.

October 2, 1959 - Weather Service Radar (WSR-3) was installed at the airport office.

June 14, 1965 - The weather office was moved into Building #1 of the Weir Cook Airport (Latitude 39 deg 44 min N Longitude 86 deg 17 min W) .

June 19, 1970 - Internal restructuring within the National Weather Service changed the Indianapolis office to a Weather Service Forecast Office.

July 23, 1976 - The Weir Cook Airport name was changed to the Indianapolis International Airport .

September 28, 1977 - The National Weather Service office was relocated to the Administration Building at the Indianapolis International Airport (Latitude 39 deg 44 min N Longitude 86 deg 16 min W ). This area is now part of the main terminal ticketing area.

September 28, 1977 - In conjunction with the move of the office to the Administration Building the WSR-3 radar was replaced with a WSR 74C radar.

May 1, 1992 - Construction began on the new National Weather Service building on West Hanna Avenue, south of the airport complex. Construction also began on the NEXRAD (Next Generation Radar) 88D.

August 24, 1993 - The National Weather Service office in Indianapolis moved in to its new office, where it currently resides. The NEXRAD 88D radar was made operational and ran in tandem with the WSR 74C radar until commissioning.

January 1, 1996 - Manual observations were replaced with an Automated Surface Observations Station (ASOS).

January 1, 1996 - The NEXRAD 88D radar was commissioned and the WSR 74C radar was officially decommissioned.

Present - The National Weather Service remains in it's Hanna Avenue location to this date and continues to see internal advancements and updates in technology.

NOAA National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office