Most North Dakotans agree that weather has played a vital role in shaping the state’s history and continues to be a significant factor in almost every aspect of life on these Northern plains. Most North Dakotas also agree that it is highly beneficial to have reliable foresight into what the weather will be in the near future. Fewer North Dakotans may fully understand just how much time, effort and technology goes into making those weather related insights available to the public within the timeframes necessary to either avert catastrophe or to live life to the fullest.
On Wednesday, January 13, 6:30 p.m. in Meeting Room A at the Bismarck Veterans’ Memorial Public Library, Mr. John Paul Martin, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Bismarck, will present an illustrated talk on the history and operations of the National Weather Service (NWS) station in Bismarck. The PowerPoint presentation will include the life of an early day weatherman (who was also a U.S. soldier from the Army Signal Corps), some of the existing buildings which played a role in weather bureau’s work, the changing tools and procedures of weather forecasting and recording, then and now. There will also be “hands-on” examples of some of those instruments and a couple of weather related experiments conducted during the talk.
Mr. Martin, a transplanted Pennsylvanian, with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Meteorology from Penn State University, began his career with the in Williston, N.D. and has remained in North Dakota for the entire 26 years of his career, to date.
The public is invited. Refreshments will be served. Reservations are not required.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016, 6:30 P.M., Meeting Room A, Bismarck Veterans’ Memorial Public Library, 515 5th Street Bismarck, North Dakota.