Topic: Weather data before the web existed

[DesertBlue]

Hi all – How did you get current reference temps and other variables for your town before the web? I mean if you, or anyone, wanted to know the official temperature reading right now, or maybe within the last hour. I like to have comparison estimates for my own gear. Also for the majority of people who don't have any gear, what did they do, say in the 1980s?

I think I remember "weather hotlines" when I was a kid, but I'm hazy on it. They were phone numbers. I'm not sure how up to the minute they were. Were they free? Did newspapers report retroactive stats, like yesterday's highs and lows? At least then you'd be able to refer back and compare to your readings.

[Otis]

I remember in Fairbanks Alaska, in the early 80s, my office cold weather policy was call the weather number at the airport, if they reported minus 50 f at 6:00 am office was closed.  That number was busy a lot!  Thanks for the flashback.

Oh yea, it reported minus 49 a lot......

[CW2274]

Did newspapers report retroactive stats, like yesterday's highs and lows? At least then you'd be able to refer back and compare to your readings.

Yes, that and the local TV news was about all there was. Unlike today where PWS's are a dime a dozen on every street corner and all post online, back then all that was available was data from your closest airport which may or may not be indicative of "your" weather. I also watched a boatload of TWC too.