According to the NWS, February 5 commemorates the birth of John Jeffries, one of America’s first weather observers, in 1744. Jeffries began observing the weather in 1774 and took the first balloon observation in 1784.

“It’s easy to forget that around the clock, dedicated meteorologists and weathercasters are vigilantly creating forecasts to help you plan your day, and issuing warnings to help keep you safe in the event of severe weather,” the NWS says of National Weatherperson’s Day.

After the jump, a sampling of some National Weatherperson’s Day celebrations. continued…

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Chris Higgins

Higgins responded with what he called an “open letter of sorts”:

This is an open letter of sorts to respond to the many posts from folks who claim this storm was a complete surprise and who have gone as far as to question my integrity by calling me a liar and an idiot. I do this at the risk of getting in trouble but I feel it necessary to defend my integrity.

In his post, Higgins tells viewers he correctly forecast how long heavy snow would fall and where it would fall but admitted he did not correctly forecast how much snow would fall, adding, “But you cannot sit there and tell me I didn’t tell you it was going to snow…and that I didn’t say [it] was going to snow heavily…because I did.” continued…

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Storms were in the forecast when the pregame show aired, and weather info appeared on the screen. But when play began, KTVI soon removed the weather graphics and inserted them only briefly during the early stages of the telecast.

The Post-Dispatch liked the restraint shown by KTVI, allowing viewers to watch the game while keeping them up-to-date on the changing weather without overdoing it, something the paper doesn’t seem to think other stations handle as well during sporting events.

When severe storms are in the area, the trend on local TV has become to plaster a map on the screen, accompanied by text scrolling across the bottom of the picture to dispense warning information.  These bells and whistles aren’t overly intrusive for general programming but are exasperating for those watching sports because athletics telecasts have much more information displayed than do mainstream shows. continued…

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Allman was an investigative and political reporter at rival KMOV, the CBS affiliate, for 14 years. For the past nine years, he has been a morning radio host in the St. Louis area.

“Jamie will be an excellent addition to our political team coverage,” news director Audrey Prywitch said in a statement. “Fair and balanced means offering a platform for all views.”

At KTVI, Allman will provide analysis and discuss topical issues for locally-produced election specials.

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Now the couple has found a way to once again work in the same market.

Schnyder, a Houston native, has lined up a job as a freelance reporter at Dallas NBC-affiliate KXAS.

“Rarely do two married reporters get jobs in the same market at the same time,” Schnyder told mikemcguff.com this week. “Somehow we have managed this challenge and there’s a very strong chance this will be our last move in TV. Dallas is home and it’s a big market…what more could we ask for?” continued…

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Woodard has been with Fox-affiliate KTVI since October 2005.  She currently co-anchors the station’s weekend morning newscasts and reports during the week.

KTVI general manager Spencer Koch announced Woodard’s departure this week, saying, “Teresa has been a great team player… she will be missed.”

A graduate of Texas A&M who got her start at KCEN in Waco, Woodard is expected to begin her new job as a WFAA reporter after the February sweeps period.

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“Kingsley’s fervent passion for local news and his ability to develop strong news talent and create compelling newscasts makes him the ideal leader for our newsroom,” said KTTV vice president and general manager Kevin Hale, in announcing the hiring. “We are thrilled to welcome him aboard.”

KTTV’s news director position opened up in April when Jose Rios, who had led the station’s newsroom since 1992, was appointed to vice president of digital news applications for Fox Television Stations.

Smith has worked for Fox O&Os throughout his career. Before joining WTXF, he spent nearly two years as vice president and news director of St. Louis’s KTVI (a Fox-owned station at the time). He also spent 15 years at Dallas’s KDFW, where he worked his way up from producer to executive producer to assistant news director. continued…

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John Brown

Brown is replacing Jacquie Sosa, who left WOFL in March in order to spend more time with her family.

Before joining KTVI, Brown worked as an anchor for the syndicated morning show “The Daily Buzz,” which is based in Orlando.

“I’m thrilled to be coming back to Orlando, a city my family absolutely loves,” Brown said.  I look forward to connecting with FOX 35 viewers and giving them the information they need to start their day.”

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Auble, 71, has been a reporter in the St. Louis area for decades, working at the St. Louis Globe newspaper before joining KTVI in 1988. During his time with the station, which included interviews with James Earl Ray, the man who assassinated the Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as Rosa Parks and Coretta King, Auble won seven Emmys.

KTVI general manager Spencer Koch called Auble a “great storyteller” in a memo to staff, obtained by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, announcing his retirement.

“John is a great competitor,” Koch wrote. “He cared for FOX 2 and always looked for ways to win.” continued…

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“A historic storm deserves historic coverage,” Mike Shipley, KSDK news director, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Tuesday.

With severe winter weather moving into St. Louis this week, stations were “all-hands-on-deck.”

The storm was unpredictable and kept news crews on their toes as it slowly moved into the area on Monday before becoming severe Tuesday morning.

KSDK (NBC), KMOV (CBS), and KTVI (Fox) offered weather updates throughout the day on Monday and then went into wall-to-wall coverage on Tuesday morning, preempting regularly scheduled programming and staying with local news into the afternoon.

“In a situation like this, we staff the same way they do snowplow drivers–12 hours on, 12 hours off,” said Sean McLaughlin, news director of KMOV.

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