A vintage steroscopic image showing the cornell signal station in the 1880s

A stereoscopic image of Cornell’s original weather signal station in the 1880s.

What’s the Weather Going to Be? Check the Signal Pole!

Cornellians have long known the joys of ‘Ithacation’—and earlier generations got their forecasts the old-fashioned way

By Corey Ryan Earle ’07

In the smartphone era, an up-to-date weather forecast can be found in nearly every student’s pocket. Should I bring an umbrella to class? Will I need snowshoes to get to my prelim?

But before 24/7 weather information, early Cornellians utilized a plethora of options when deciding whether to grab a raincoat.

The success of the electric telegraph—thanks in part to Ezra Cornell—was a key contributor to the modern era of weather forecasting, allowing meteorological conditions to be reported quickly across long distances.

An illustration of Corey Earle with the title Storytime with Corey

The first national weather service in the U.S. was established in 1870—two years after the University opened its doors—as part of the Army Signal Service (where it remained until 1891, when it moved to the Department of Agriculture and was named the U.S. Weather Bureau).

With efforts to get federal support for meteorological work on the Hill unsuccessful, civil engineering professor Estevan Fuertes began collecting local weather data in 1873.

A University signal station was erected in 1879, approximately where Uris Library stands today; large balls would be raised on a 112-foot pole with the number and position indicating the day’s forecast.

A vintage image shows the location of the original signal pole on the Cornell campus.
The original signal station’s pole can be seen above the lefthand corner of Sage Chapel in 1885.

Predictions were typically updated two or three times per day, utilizing local observations and official reports from the national weather service in Washington, DC.

From anywhere on campus, students could look to the signal pole to gauge whether they might need an umbrella.

Despite the station’s value—particularly for local farmers—it quickly became the target of undergrad humor.

A cartoon from the Cornell Widow showing two men with the title "Hard Usage" and the text: "Morrill" I see they've got a nice, new, clean 'fair weather' flag over at the Weather Bureau. Lincoln: Yes, the old one was worn out by the storms."
The Cornell Widow jests about forecast accuracy in 1897.

“We are authorized to state that the signal station is not a relative of George Washington,” the Cornell Era declared (referencing the Founding Father’s legendary inability to lie).

“It can, and does tell whoppers.”

As another article observed: “The signal station is fortunate in not having to pass examinations. It guesses, but is almost always wrong.”

Yet another suggested that the signals were selected by rolling dice.

Despite the criticism, the station reported an impressive 86% accuracy rate after its first few months. It stood until 1888, shortly before excavation for Uris Library began.

(Student journalists couldn’t resist one last shot, crowing: “No longer will umbrellas be carried when fair weather signals are up.”)

The signal station—which reported an impressive 86% accuracy rate after its first few months—stood until 1888, shortly before excavation for Uris Library began.

The next year, Cornell launched the New York State Weather Bureau, with meteorological offices moving to the fourth floor of Lincoln Hall, the then-new civil engineering building.

Under Fuertes’s direction, the bureau posted forecasts around campus and used flags on a new signal pole installed on the building (e.g., white for “clear or fair weather,” blue for “rain or snow”).

Lincoln Hall with its signal pole
Lincoln Hall’s signal pole displayed weather forecasts via color-coded flags.

The national Weather Bureau took over the University’s station in 1899, and it later moved to the new agricultural building, Roberts Hall (since demolished); a guidebook described the view from its rooftop meteorological observatory as “the widest obtainable anywhere on the campus.”

The City of Ithaca offered its own weather announcements via a steam whistle at the sewer pumping station near Cayuga Inlet.

Beginning in 1901, it would sound a long whistle at 11 a.m. each day, followed by the signals for weather and temperature (e.g., one long blast for fair weather).

A guidebook described the view from Roberts Hall’s rooftop meteorological observatory as “the widest obtainable anywhere on the campus.”

In 1909, the Weather Bureau added a new campus landmark to help the Cornell community get up-to-date information.

An iron and glass kiosk—one of several dozen established throughout the country—was built at the intersection where Olin Hall stands today.

Bureau staff would post weather maps and forecast information; the kiosk also included a rain gauge, a hygrometer for measuring humidity, and a thermograph recording the changing temperatures.

People reading info at a Weather Bureau kiosk in Washington, DC in 1923
Library of Congress
A U.S. Weather Bureau kiosk in Washington, DC, in 1923.

The kiosk program was discontinued nationally in 1931, and Cornell’s was removed with the construction of Campus Road.

The Daily Sun made its first foray into regular forecasting with a “Weather Indications” notice published periodically as early as fall 1882, the paper’s third year of existence.

Observed the first report: “For the Middle States, warm Southeast to Southwest winds, lower barometer, generally fair during the day, followed by local rains.”

From 1904 to 1912, the Sun subscribed to “Telegraphic News of the Morning,” sent “by direct wire” from the New York World. The daily report, published on the paper’s second page, included brief national and international stories in addition to the weather.

The Sun became one of the first collegiate newspapers to join the Associated Press in summer 1912, which meant a nightly wire service with news of the day.

As a result, an enlarged paper emerged in September 1912, with a daily weather forecast added to the masthead on the front page (“Rain Monday and probably Tuesday,” according to its debut), where it remained for decades.

The Daily Sun became one of the first collegiate newspapers to join the Associated Press in summer 1912, which meant a nightly wire service with news of the day.

As radio and TV grew in popularity, live weather forecasts eventually became a common feature.

But regardless of where our forecasts come from, Cornellians across generations have a shared appreciation (or loathing?) for that unique and unpredictable Ithaca weather.

The term “Ithacation”—referring to the mixture of rain and snow so common in Cornell’s hometown—appears in print as early as the 1960s.

An expert on Big Red lore, Corey Ryan Earle ’07 teaches “The First American University,” a wildly popular spring semester course on Cornell history.

Top: A stereoscopic image of Cornell’s original weather signal station in the 1880s. (All images courtesy of Rare and Manuscript Collections, unless otherwise indicated.)

Published January 14, 2025

Comments

  1. Mark H. Anbinder, Class of 1989
    15 Jan, 2025

    All those poles and signal flags when students could’ve just called 277-2772!

    Reply

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