Introduction
Overview of Observer Duties
Why We Observe the Weather Here
Personnel and Who Does What
A Brief History of BHO
Reference
Overview of Observer Duties
The primary job of the observers during their shift is to observe and record the
weather at Blue Hill Observatory. Each day three detailed observations are made
at 7 AM, 10 AM and 1 PM (EST). (NOTE: All times in this handbook are EST,
unless otherwise noted.) Chart recordings and other automated instrumentation
record the weather during the time that observers are not present, and the observer
must change charts as needed to ensure continuous operation. These recordings
are used by the observer to determine the hourly weather for the previous day and to
tabluate this information in computer spreadsheets. It is also the observer's
responsibility to maintain lists of daily, weekly and monthly weather records.
The observer will also monitor instrumentation for proper operation and either repair
anything that is not functioning properly, if possible, or contact the appropriate
person.
In addition to these regular duties, the observer will frequently be required to interact
with the public, including answering the phone and in person. Should an emergency
arise, the observer must be familiar with the safety procedures and know who to contact.
Why We Observe the Weather Here
Daily weather observations commensed at the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory on
February 1, 1885, and this has continued uninterrupted to the present day. The
Observatory was founded by Abbott Lawrence Rotch for the purpose of measuring the
weather and climate and for supporting research in meteorology. The Observatory is
unique in North America as a station dedicated to meteorological measurement and
for both the duration and quality of its climate record.
Personnel and Who Does What
President: William E. Minsinger, M.D.
Executive Director: Charles T. Orloff
Program Director: Don McCasland
The program director manages the educational programs and activities, public events and tours
of the Observatory as well as supervising volunteers.
Observer in Charge: F. Robert Skilling
The OIC is responsible for ensuring that the observatory is staffed each day, contributing
to the observing duties, checking and finalizing all tabulated data, obtaining all needed
supplies, and reporting a summary of the observations to NCDC/Ashville each month.
Observers: Michael J. Iacono, Sean Fankhauser, Eli Melass, Stephanie Radner
When on duty, relief observers perform all observational duties on that day and contribute
to calculating and tabulating weather data on a regular schedule or on an as needed basis.
Observers in Training: Chris Torchia, Caroline Corbett, George Tabeek, Erin Abbott
Technical Services: David Doe
Primary responsibilities include maintenance of the currently operational modern and historic
instrumentation as well as the on-site computer network.
Climatologist: Michael J. Iacono
The staff climatologist analyzes data from the Blue Hill climate record and for other
locations as necessary, preparing written reports and content for the Blue Hill web site.
Webmaster: Michael J. Iacono
The webmaster designs and modifies the Blue Hill web site (www.bluehill.org)
to provide current announcements, weather information and other content.
A Brief History of BHO
The Blue Hill Observatory was conceived and constructed by Abbott Lawrence Rotch when he was 25 years
of age. This fascinating man, born during the Civil War (1861), was the seventh child of a
prominent Boston family whose roots went back to Nantucket and New Bedford whaling and shipping
interests (Joseph Rotch owned the ship Dartmouth which was involved in the Boston Tea Party and his
son William built the warehouse which became the Pacific Club still anchoring Main Street in
Nantucket). As a youth, Rotch traveled extensively with his family - especially with his maternal
grandfather, Mr. Lawrence who was ambassador to Great Britain and one of the founders of Lawrence,
Massachusetts. Rotch was enrolled in European schools in Paris, Berlin, and Florence where he
learned to speak French and German fluently. This served him well in future years when he traveled
and lectured and was internationally recognized in the new field of meteorology.
Rotch's first interest in the weather is not known, but he began to keep a small diary of the
weather in 1878 at his Boston residence and this diary revealed that he was a proficient observer.
He graduated from MIT with a degree in engineering in 1884 with financial security since he had
inherited funds on his father's death in 1882, which allowed him to pursue his interests in the
weather while providing for his family and other public service interests. Soon after graduation
he began to conceive of a private observatory to carry on his growing interest in the weather.
After purchasing a plot at the very top of Great Blue Hill, near the family's summer home in
Milton, he began to plan construction with the help of his brother, Arthur, an architect with the
firm Rotch and Tilden.
At the cost of $3,500 Rotch constructed a small stone tower Observatory on the summit with the
living quarters in Canton and the tower in Milton on the town line. At midnight on 31 January 1885
fireworks were set off, and Rotch commenced a weather observational program that has continued
uninterrupted to the present day. Thus began the oldest, continuously operating weather Observatory
in the United States - now an International Benchmark Climate Station and a National Historic
Landmark.
The first year of operation was fraught with endless difficulties ranging from leaks in the walls,
freezing indoor temperatures, and frequent instrument failure due to the extreme weather on the
barren, windswept hilltop. All of these events, as well as detailed weather data from each day,
were meticulously recorded in the hand of Willard P. Gerrish, Chief Observer for the first year.
Rotch soon became world-renowned in the field of meteorology as he met with European and American
meteorologists and embarked on the systematic acquisition of meteorological books and data. His
annual trips to Europe provided his new Observatory with the best complement of recording
instruments in the Western Hemisphere.
Henry Helm Clayton, age 24, arrived in 1886 to replace Gerrish. Clayton was already interested
in clouds and soon started recording their amount and type each hour. He was also interested
in forecasting and modifying the Signal Service forecasts that Rotch had arranged to receive by
telephone and transmit by means of "Weather Flags" from the top of the tower. A year later
Clayton brought Sterling Pl Fergusson, age 19, to the hill. Fergusson was a mechanical genius
and soon had the instrument problems under control.
Under the guidance of Rotch, Clayton and Fergusson made an excellant team. By 1890, the first
detailed cloud statistics in America were being accumulated. These observations provided the
first basic climatology of cloud types, height and velocities in the Western Hemisphere.
July 1894 saw William Eddy, a New York journalist, come to Blue Hill to show how his kites
could lift instruments, On 4 August 1894, a series of five Malay kites made by Eddy, lifted
a special light weight thermograph constructed by Fergusson to a height of 1,400 feet above the
ground at Blue Hill. This marked the beginning of worldwide soundings of pressure, temperature,
humidity and sometimes wind speed. Thereafter the work advanced rapidly, reaching a peak of
activity in 1896, when 86 soundings were made. A maximum height of 15,793 feet above sea level
was reached in 1900.
Some flights were made by alternately reeling in and out to sound vertically for periods of
24 and 36 hours, thus sampling upper air changes with time. Other flights were made near
thunderstorms, and in rain and snowstorms. The work was extremely arduous, especially when
breakaways occurred, which required a search for the kites and meteorograph and retrieval
of long lengths of brass piano wire used to fly the kites. One near disastrous flight saw
a significant electric charge come down the kite wire and shock several kite attendants.
Rotch improved the Observatory structure three times. In 1899, the east wing was added to
make a library and fireproof vault upstairs, with a shop and bedroom below. In 1902 the
west wing and bedrooms were added. This housed the "new" library with an arched
Guastavino tiled ceiling upstairs and storage for kites downstairs. In 1908, the two-story
stone tower was torn down and replaced by the present three-story concrete tower, which
was one of the earliest steel reinforced structures erected in the United States.
Rotch died suddenly on 7 April 1912 after an undiagnosed ruptured appendix. Letters of
condolence poured in from Europe and America. According to his wishes, the Observatory was
bequeathed to Harvard University with $50,000 to be set up in an endowment fund to operate
the facility. Six years earlier, Rotch had been named the first professor of meteorology
at Harvard.
On 1 October, 1912, Alexander George McAdie was appointed professor of meteorology and
Director of the Observatory. He would serve as Director for the next 18 years. McAdie
was a kind, witty and articulate man. His personal charm played an important role in
raising $170,000 for endowment, an outstanding service to the Observatory. He had a
penchant for writing and while some of his work was purely philosophical, some brilliant
reasoning in regard to cloud physics and supercooled water vapor appeared in his
writings from time to time.
During the 1930s and 1940s the Observatory became known around the world for its research
and writing in the field of meteorology. This was the period of time when Dr. Charles F.
Brooks was Directory of the Blue Hill Observatory as well as Secretary of the American
Meteorological Society. Under his leadership, the Observatory was headquarters of the
American Meteorological Society and the library grew to an estimated 25,000 volumes.
Scores of research projects and studies were conducted and numerous papers published.
One of the most significant developments occurred during 1935-1936 when balloons were
used to carry weather instruments into the upper atmosphere. During this time the first
successful radio-meteorograph flight was made and this pioneered the development of
the radiosonde in this country.
In 1932, Brooks supplied instrumentation and observer training for the new Mt.
Washington Observatory, which marked the start of a long-time close association with
Blue Hill. Radio transmission experiments at ultrashort wavelengths followed, and
soon regular communication by radio was established between the Observatories.
In 1954, the first of a series of contracts was signed with the Air Force for the
study of clouds and precipitation, and a weather radar was installed on the top of
Great Blue Hill. When Brooks retired in 1957, John H. Conover served as Acting
Director until Richard M. Goody became Director in July 1958. A year later the
Blue Hill observational program was taken over, on a diminished scale, by the
United States Weather Bureau.
Under the directorship of Goody, the work of the Observatory was to change to
studies of the high atmosphere, so the intervening period was used to wind down
all activities. The library was dismantled, the Observatory was remodeled and
a new machine shop was set up. Pioneering work on the upper atmosphere and
airglow was carried out with Dr. John Noxon.
Although research and numerous studies continued until the 1960s, the long time
affiliation with Harvard University came to and end in 1971. At that point the
Observatory was turned over to the Massachusetts Metropolitan District Commission
and was scheduled to be discontinued as a National Weather Service observing
station. Fortunately, through the efforts of several loyal supporters, the
National Weather Service's decision was reversed and observations under
contract from the NWS continue to the present day.
In 1981, under the direction of Dr. William E. Minsinger, the Blue Hill
Observatory Weather Club was formed, and since that time an uncompromising
battle has been waged to save the building and restore it to its former glory.
Interim repairs were made in 1985 for the Centennial Celebration. In 1989
the building was declared a National Historic Landmark by the National Park
Service and work began in earnest to raise money necessary to transform the
Observatory into a Weather Museum and Science Center.
The MDC funded the complete restoration and modernization of the Observatory
in 1997-99, and this unique National Historic Landmark was re-opened with
a gala Skyfest celebration of 1 May 1999 with over 1,500 people touring
the Observatory that day. During Spring and Fall school quarters, many
classes have toured our new facilities or taken part in our educational
school programming. Thousands of students have participated in these programs
since 1999.
For several years, the Stearns Foundation funded our Women in Natural Science
(WINS) program, which is designed to stimulate and retain inner city female
students' interest in math and science. We have an additional grant from
teh Fuller Foundation, which funds a public lecure series for all students
featuring the same national speakers we have invited for our WINS program.
We are most excited about these new educational programs and would encourage
all to participate in these new initiatives.
The Blue Hill Observatory now has a new educational mission while continuing
to maintain a meticulous climate record using traditional methods and
instruments. This expanded mission will focus on increasing public
understanding of, and appreciation for atmospheric science.
Reference
Conover, John H., The Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory: The First 100 Years, 1885-1985,
American Meteorological Society, 514 pp., 1990.