TODAY's First Weather Forecast: Jan. 14, 1952 | Archives | TODAY

[@senorkaboom]

Dave Garroway did a great job for this first broadcast, he made it as informative and smooth as he could. I wonder what the debriefing after this first telecast was like? Talk about a work in progress at that time.

[@roberthansen2008]

I find this stuff absolutely amazing. I like the Simplicity of the technology and the methodologies used back then. It's kind of neat to watch this stuff because it's so interesting that that's what they did back then and I think everybody could learn from this this is cool stuff

[@MCO18]

Today's weather forecast made possible by Windows 52.

[@dustinolvey8877]

Which is a blackboard.

[@itskevinjustkevin]

you mean the "UNIVAC" 1212-220

[@MegaGameFan100]

@@dustinolvey8877 Well actually back then they had a photo of the United States, and slid a big panel of glass over it to write on that way they can clean the glass and keep the United States from looking like a mess....like it is now.. so technically Windows in 52 -> Windows 52

[@jeromeglick]

Yeah, when I was in middle school the teachers and admin used a system called Blackboard. Or was it blackbaud?

[@peterloukas6435]

To answer the question: This was the first TELEVISED weather forecast. The one from yesterday was not televised.

[@donpaulweatherpluspaul2670]

First televised on the Today show...local forecasts had already been on the air for several years in several cities, such as Boston, New York, and Washington.

[@glennmillerfan]

Peter Loukas I know that NBC and CBS had televised weather reports in 1941, and its is possible that Lowell Thomas did weather forecasts on the TV simulcast of his daily newscast on NBC in 1940.

[@ronaldwilliamson7963]

And before that there were weathermen on the radio. And before that people got the weather from a newspaper.

[@jeromeglick]

@@ronaldwilliamson7963 And before that people got their weather from a barometer. And before that they just looked at the sky and called it a day.

[@xandergruver]

1952's winter seems to be mild compared to now. 22 degrees as the low throughout the country in January?!

[@dawnfire82]

A well-known consequence of global warming is colder temperatures...

[@chriseder5006]

Think about that for a second. They knew people wouldn't sit down and watch TV for that long so they had to play music for people to stay tuned

[@atliszilla445]

*First weather forecast aired in 1952* People in 1951: It's going to rain today. I could smell it.

[@ronaldwilliamson7963]

In 1951, we had to phone the weather.

[@jeromeglick]

@@ronaldwilliamson7963 Yeah. And now we look at our phone for the weather.

[@brianarbenz7206]

While the weather forecast is delayed as Dave Garroway tries to get the phone from the Weather Bureau to work better, millions of viewers are just looking outside their living room windows to see what the weather is doing. Obviously a few bumps and grinds early for Today, but Dave is the best at ad libing and still keeping viewers engaged there ever was.

[@keithelster8858]

Reminds me of a young David Letterman at WLWI Indianapolis in 1970, with his commentary as he did the weather.

[@derrickquintero1489]

That's a actual news room. The weather map was a chalk board not a screen it's pretty cool newspapers too

[@aidanbobhog6303]

Every man on tv sounded the same back then

[@dons105]

Cuz most were nicotine addicts?

[@jeromeglick]

Yeah, imagine what they sounded like once they clocked out.

[@Magmazia]

It's absolutely astonishing that our technology was once so little, at the time, the people in that time thinking that it was the most technological, impressive advancement in the world, but now we have touchscreen weather, cellular phones, and other things that would absolutely blow the minds of those who were once alive back in the day.

[@RobloxianUploader]

They had to CALL PEOPLE to WRITE THE WEATHER ON A WHITEBOARD! WHAT NOW WE HAVE FLYING PIECES OF METAL THAT WE CONNECT TO WEEKS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE WHAAAAT

[@m33r61]

Dave devall

[@lylewood2029]

I was alive back in the day. Saw this show live on our little 12" round screen TV. Doesn't blow my mind, I know how it works.

[@Alkis05]

My mom was born in 45. A lot of those people are still alive today.

[@ronaldwilliamson7963]

I watched that show on a 17-in Emerson.

[@cameroneddy4983]

Al Roker now does that same job Dave did on that first show

[@MrPillowStudios]

History that was thankfully... Preserved.

[@schrollG]

This weather report was a lot better than today's reports with the Doppler and the dramatic music every time there is a storm forecast.

[@ronaldwilliamson7963]

In 1951 a snowfall was just a snowfall. It wasn't given a name and didn't mean the world was going to end.

[@radic888]

This is truly fascinating.

[@Ian16545]

2:53 - These days, we have the Toyota Summer Concert Series.

[@JUSAGUYNKY]

0:25 a glimpse of what “TODAY” will become lol

[@steviebauer386]

I.love the song at the end

[@evoman1776]

May seem antiquated but in 1952 no country in the world was doing this except America.

[@andrewscungio3200]

They brought this back during the 70th anniversary episode of NBC the today show with the current news cast.

[@asphaltandtacos]

I like the simple type of technology.

[@colettenasielski7994]

Very Good Jimmy

[@steveferraro7086]

This is Great

[@kenyaaskew2627]

wow things were so different back in the late 50's

[@anonUK]

Maybe but this was the early 50s.

[@fredricardo3272]

This was 1952.

[@patrickthedrummer]

Does anyone know if this is public domain?

[@robp3475]

people smoking cigarettes

[@kubagurpl8130]

This question just came up in my head yesterday, and today I got around to answering it

[@JG-dl4ju]

Music Ralph Elias Flenniken Born April 7, 1914 Lorain, Ohio, U.S. Jim was accurate with his forecast.

[@Jdobine]

Love the song @ the end

[@mrbatadahead]

I remember thinking how, High Teck, that Microphone looked.

[@diegogonzalez7279]

I can’t imagine

[@stevensmith4999]

Great forecast for the West coast lol

[@jerryharrell1543]

They weren't even awake on west coast at 4AM, this was out of NYC

[@frankgarrett9500]

The first few years the Today show was only seen in the New York, Philadelphia and Boston areas. As NBC built up its television network it was seen on more affiliates across the United States.

[@robp3475]

playing music during the show

[@mrraidz6258]

Who had this for school I can’t understand

[@mshroye2]

I'd rather watch this than the garbage they have on now.

[@musicom67]

That's some cheesy News Central set - what with that metal wrought-iron TV weather map and the thumbtacked photos. And they had to depend on AT&T for the 'line'... which NBC failed to obtain - hence the weather f-up with the phone. Also love the shortwave radio-sourced live calls from London and Frankfurt - probably sourced from RCA Radio Central in Rocky Point, Long Island.

[@johnathanblauw2608]

😂 I love how blunt he is This is going to be pretty bad for the first week or two, as this is a massive undertaking Alrighty then, whether, check! And because you won't be getting sucked in to just watch TV - lol, as if, 2023 😂 - here's some music, enjoy!

[@rexlex1736]

Not exactly The Weather Channel.

[@NOGOSANStay]

May I use this sound source as a material for music?

[@lindaeasley5606]

We need to go back to chalk board weather reporting

[@caroltenge5147]

Not as much fake news back then.......

[@chriseder5006]

Laughs in historian. Newspaper s were waaay worse than cable news today ( and cable is bad

[@charles7003]

Is it only fake news when it goes against your political views? Ha. Please,

[@nobleroman5601]

Better weather reports than 😜 ,,,,, it was a time when you got 3 " of snow and they didn't shut down the cities

[@johnw2026]

Welp. I reckon this slowpoke better get up and get back to work. 🙂

[@jaydonpatterson3906]

If this was the first weather report, why did he erase yesterday’s weather report?

[@superelectra]

See above. It was left from one of the in-studio rehearsals.

[@loganadams1519]

its says first but he erases yesterdays weather?

[@TjtheSquishyLegomanic]

Radio

[@BBC600]

@@TjtheSquishyLegomanic It's from a rehearsal apparently that wasn't erased prior to the show going to air.

[@TjtheSquishyLegomanic]

@@BBC600 thanks

[@dkkempion8744]

If Dave erased the previous day's weather forecast, then this can't be the first forecast.

[@superelectra]

The forecast Garroway erased was from a dry run the day before and somebody forgot to erase it before the debut program went on the air. I have seen the full kinescope from the debut show (or at least the portions of it that were kinescoped) and have also seen the program log from that first morning, and this is indeed the first forecast.

[@PapaBear33]

Wow

[@KimRandolph-bm1ny]

😂🎉❤

[@steviebauer386]

How old is this

[@LightStreamer]

dur 1952

[@jeromeglick]

pre-Elvis but post-WWII

[@blackgirlbeauty3931]

0:24-0:30🤔

[@RichardCockerill]

wow so many smokers :]

[@ElyMeneses]

Lol

[@charlied8882]

Scripted

[@TrulyAGhost]

If you remember this episode then your too old to be on youtube. 😂

[@Dennis4523]

Nah I’m built different

[@mrraidz6258]

@@Dennis4523 true

[@aidanbobhog6303]

I bet midge watched this

[@TM-gu6bp]

a puppet back then also...

[@Jdwify]

I never seen this before. 71 years old. The weather bureau had to call in the weather forecast and he had to draw it on the map. The changes in technology are massive.

[@ronaldwilliamson7963]

Back then, you got the latest weather by phone. In a lot of places you still do.

[@crude_macaroni]

2:32 @polrum8921 the funny

[@StatsCount]

Wow