July 4, 1776
Independence Day
On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed signifying our independence from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson drafted this historical document but he also kept weather logs. Here’s what he recorded for the first Independence Day, 239 years ago.
Philadelphia Weather Conditions, July 4, 1776
6am: 68° // 1pm: 76° // Warm and humid day*
*Keep in mind that heavy suits and wigs were the fashion of the time. There was not the luxury of air conditioning either.
Here’s how Jefferson describes his ritual, “My method is to make two observations a day, the one as early as possible in the morning, the other from 3. to 4. aclock, because I have found 4. aclock the hottest and day light the coldest point of the 24. hours. I state them in an ivory pocket book in the following form, and copy them out once a week.”
In the 1700’s, personal weather diaries allowed people to keep track of the weather. By the 1800’s the U.S. Weather Bureau was founded and became known as the National Weather Service during the 1900’s.
~ Meteorologist Candice Boling
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