Dorothy Taylor
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Prior to America's entry into World War II, only two women were listed among the US Weather Bureau ranks as observers and forecasters. But during the war this changed dramatically. By 1945, over 900 women worked as observers and forecasters . Many weather offices were comprised almost entirely of women.
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| Women in the Weather Bureau During WW II NOAA Photo |
Today we hardly remember these women. But one stands out, Dorothy L. Taylor. Her actions in the spring of 1945 illustrate the dedication of many of her female colleagues now long forgotten.
During the War Years, most women entered the Weather Bureau as Junior Observers, and Miss Taylor was no exception. Appointed on April 1, 1944, she received promotion to SP-5 rank on April 1, 1945.
Twelve days later, the young woman -- she would not turn 20 until April 23rd -- reported for her routine evening shift in Caspar, Wyoming. That shift would be anything but routine.
While on duty, a heavy snowstorm isolated the Caspar weather station. The intense storm prevented Taylor's relief person from showing up, and for 28 hours, she singlehandedly ran the office operations.
During her extended shift, she continued taking hourly airways observations and 6-hourly synoptic readings. She also managed to launch and observe regular weather balloon soundings under extremely adverse conditions where temperatures ranged from 22o to 29oF and winds raged from 25 to 50 miles per hour during the heaviest snowfall.
Not only did Taylor keep up with the regular weather observation and data transmission schedule, she also prepared three consecutive weather maps while contending with unusually heavy telephone traffic. All the while, Taylor sustained herself with perseverance and the meager contents of her lunch pail.
For more on Dorothy Taylor and her colleagues, go to our website at weathernotebook.org for more information. And thanks today to contributing writer Keith Heidorn of Victoria, British Columbia. The Weather Notebook is a production of the Mount Washington Observatory and supported in part by the National Science Foundation.