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Dorothy Taylor
Mon Nov 10, 2003
Listen in RealAudio 
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.
Hi, I'm Bryan Yeaton and this is The Weather Notebook.
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 22 to 29 degrees Fahrenheit
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.
For more on Dorothy Taylor and her colleagues, go to our website at weathernotebook.org. The
Weather Notebook is a production of the Mount Washington Observatory and supported in part by
the National Science Foundation.
Today's Links
Dorothy Taylor:
http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/history/dtaylor.htm
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