NWS Billings Office History

January 1, 1883: First written record of weather observations at Billings two years before city was incorporated. Observations taken by U.S. Army for six months.

 

April 18, 1894: Considered date of continuous observations. U.S. Weather Bureau was only 4 years old at this time. Station moved around to many locations until 1934.

 

1894-1898: Dr. E.P. Townsend was 1st weather observer. Observation equipment located on roof of the Savarsey Building located on Montana Avenue between North 28th and North 29th Streets. Tallest building (3 levels) in town at the time. Weather signal flags displayed on top of building. 

Billings Weather Observations From April 1894

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1899-1902: I. D. O. Donnell and W.E. Baker became observers. Equipment moved to Maverick Hose Company (presently Northern Pacific Railroad) at Minnesota and 27th Street.

 

1902-1908: Martin Gates, Gust Eastman and J.C. Bond, volunteer firemen, took observations.

 

1908: Station moved to City Hall on 1st Ave and 28th Street and C.E. Steel, YMCA Secretary, became observer.

 

1909: Station moved yet again to 403 Yellowstone Avenue where C.S. Bell began taking observations.

 

1912-1920: D.J. Cole, owner of D.J. Cole Company at 2817 Montana Avenue, took over observations.

 

1921-1934: H.W. Peterson took observations at his residence at 505 Lewis Avenue.

Granger, Utah COOP 1930s

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1934: Billings Weather Bureau Office officially established at airport. Early area of responsibility included South Central and Southeastern Montana as well as Northwestern Wyoming, an area that was larger than New York and Pennsylvania. Responsibilities of the office eventually included daily forecasts, hourly aviation weather reports, fire weather forecasts, Yellowstone River basin forecasts, balloon observations, hourly and daily weather conditions, and aircraft observations, which cost $19.18 for each flight in 1934.

Billings Airport Office 1961

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 1, 1934: Billings Airport became official station for Billings.

First Official Observations Began July 1, 1934 at 3:10 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1934 to 1951: Arthur F. Salsbury recorded observations at his residence at 536 Lewis Avenue.

Arthur Salsbury and Wife

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1951: Station was moved to city water plant and remains there today.

Station Moved From Salsbury Residence on October 18, 1951

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1979: The Automation of Field Operations and Services (AFOS) system arrives at office, replacing teletype dissemination method. AFOS was a mainly text based system but graphics were also introduced.

 

1980s: First weather radar became operational.

 

1995: Office moves to its current location at 2170 Overland Avenue. Current Doppler radar also established. High tech, modern services also started to take shape including graphical forecast based systems, 7 day forecasts and extended outlooks, fire weather and aviation forecasting, and hydrologic and climate services. Along with the move from the airport, Sheridan was added to NWS Billings County Warning Area.

Opening Day of Current Office May 31, 1996

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opening Day Dedication May 31, 1996

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2000: Current system, Advanced Weather Information Processing System (AWIPS), arrives. AWIPS is a technologically advanced information processing, display, and telecommunications system.