History of Federal Weather Service in the Quad Cities

May 24, 1871... Office began on the third floor of the First National Bank Building at Second and Main Streets in Davenport.

April 1, 1890... Office moved to the third floor of the Masonic Temple at Third and Main Streets in Davenport. Station elevation was 613 feet.

November 3, 1896... Office moved to the second floor of the Post Office Building at Fourth and Perry Streets in Davenport. Station elevation was 606 feet. (Official wind records made at Moline Airport January 1, 1929 to December 31, 1933.)

September 4, 1931... Moved to the sixth floor of the Union Bank Building at Third and Brady Streets in Davenport. Station elevation was 661 feet.

September 26, 1933... Moved to the third floor of the Post Office Building at Fourth and Perry Streets in Davenport. Station elevation 619 feet.

*October 1, 1926... Opened new office on the northeast corner of the Moline Airport.

*December 27, 1939... Moline office moved to the second floor of the Administration Building of the Moline Airport (renamed Quad City Airport in 1954). Station elevation 589 feet.

*February 28, 1953... Davenport City Office closed.

August 30, 1977...The Weather Surveillance Radar (WSR 74C) was commissioned this date at the Quad City Airport in Moline, Illinois. It was later dedicated on September 13, 1977.

April 4, 1961... Moved to the second floor of the Terminal Building (renamed Airport Annex in 1986) of the Quad City Airport. Station elevation 589 feet.

February 5, 1991 to present... The Weather Service was relocated to the south side of the Quad City Airport. 7501 68th ST, Milan, IL 61264-3266. Station elevation 589 (Ivory Tip 584.807 ft). Additional Note... The local warning RADAR was left behind at the old location until April of 1991. RADAR operations were conducted at the old location into April of 1991. From the last part of April into the month of May 1991, RADAR was relocated to its new location at the Rock Island county FEMA site. RADAR observations were conducted at the new location from that time forward.

October 27, 1993... A formal groundbreaking ceremony was conducted at the Davenport, Iowa Airport, to mark the beginning of construction of a new Weather Forecast Office (WFO). Meteorologist in Charge James F. Meyer of Weather Service Office (WSO) Moline, Illinois, joined several local and state dignitaries in turning the symbolic first shovelsful of earth for the project.

August 1, 1994... New National Weather Service Office at the Davenport, Iowa Airport accepted. No staff on hand at this time with the actual physical move occurring at a later date.

September 19, 1994... Part time operations started at the new National Weather Service Office in Davenport, Iowa. New MIC arrived on September 6 and new office furniture arrived on September 12. Management staff working between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM. Full time operations not expected until early 1995.

November 2, 1994...WSR-88D tower dome was raised and placed on the tower platform at 355 PM. South winds of 18 to 25 knots made this a tricky task. Martin Ray, UNISYS Field Engineer, said "It's all downhill from here." RDA, RPG, and PUP arrived on November 8.

January 13, 1995... WSR-88D was accepted (handed over to the NWS) from Unisys.

February 16, 1995... Upper Air equipment was moved from Peoria, Illinois to the new Davenport, Iowa NWS location during the week of the 13th. The first flight was launched on February 16 at 5:00 p.m. LST (00Z 2/17/95).

February 20, 1995... Full time warning and Short Term Forecast operations officially started at the new NWS facility at the Davenport Airport as of midnight LST.

February 22, 1995... All remaining equipment at the Moline, Illinois office was moved to the Davenport, Iowa office. This included the NOAA Weather Radio console which operates the Rock Island, Illinois transmitter. All surface observational equipment, and several Interns and HMTs, remained at the Moline office to take surface observations. This is required until ASOS is commissioned.

February 23, 1995... The NOAA Weather Radio console from Waterloo, Iowa was brought over to the Davenport, Iowa office and turned into the Cedar Rapids, Iowa console. (Des Moines, Iowa NWS office switched their Cedar Rapids NWS over to the Waterloo circuit).

March 1, 1995... The County Warning Area (CWA) for the new Quad Cities NWS office expanded from the 12 county CWA (from Moline, Illinois) to 34 counties.

March 6, 1995... The Dubuque, Iowa NOAA Weather Radio console was moved from Dubuque to the new Quad Cities NWS office. This brought our total NWR consoles up to a total of three.

April 1, 1995... Hydrologic responsibility was assumed on this date over the 34 county Hydrologic Service Area (HSA).

July 1, 1995... The Moline, Illinois Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) unit was commissioned and taking the official surface weather readings at the Quad City Airport. All remaining NWS staffing at Moline office transferred to the new Quad Cities (Davenport) office.

September 1, 1995... Dubuque, Iowa ASOS commissioned on this date. National Weather Service staffing remained through October 15, 1995. No official NWS presence after October 15, 1995.

September 7, 1995... WSR-88D commissioned as the official National Weather Service radar.

November 1, 1995... Terminal Aviation Forecast (FT) for Moline, Illinois assumed by the new Quad Cities NWS office.

December 1, 1995... Terminal Aviation Forecast products for; Dubuque, Cedar Rapids and Burlington assumed by the new Quad Cities NWS office.

January 1, 1996... Transcribed Weather Broadcast Text Products (CHITWB216, CHITWB217, CHITWB303 and DSMTWB305) assumed by the new Quad Cities NWS office.

February 7, 1996... The old WSR 74C radar located at old NWS location was decommissioned this date. All of the equipment (except the tower) was sold to private sources in June of 1996.

August 1, 1998... NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) "Console Replacement System" (CRS) was officially activated this day as of midnight LST. This will usher in CRS, and it's computer voice capabilities, as the new voice of the NWS.

October 1998... The last of 5 new Senior Forecasters arrived on station to complete the forecast staff.

February 17, 1999... National Weather Service Quad Cities (Davenport, Iowa), assumed total forecast responsibility for 21 zones in eastern Iowa and 13 zones in northwest Illinois. The first official Area Forecast Discussion, Zone Forecast Product and CCF product were prepared by forecaster Mike McClure.

March 15, 1999... Actually during the week of March 15, the new Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) was installed at National Weather Service Quad Cities. AWIPS is the next generation computer workstation for the NWS and replaces the Automation of Field Operations and Services (AFOS) computer work station. AFOS will not be totally out of the picture until AWIPS is officially commissioned around the turn of the new century.

November 17, 1999... Assumed responsibility for Scotland and Clark Counties in northeast Missouri, bringing the total number of counties covered by NWS Quad Cities to 36. 

January 27, 2000... CRS commissioned.

March 27, 2000... AWIPS commissioned.

February 8, 2000... New NOAA Weather Radio Transmitter installed near Princeton, Illinois. Began broadcasting at 5:45 PM. This is the first of the 5 expansion transmitters in our county warning area to be installed. 

March 10, 2000... New NOAA Weather Radio Transmitter installed in West Burlington, Illinois. This transmitter is part of the Iowa Weather Radio expansion project.

March 28, 2000... New NOAA Weather Radio Transmitter installed near Fairfield, Iowa. This transmitter is part of the Iowa Weather Radio expansion project.

March 29, 2000... AFOS powered down for the last time.

April 25, 2000... New NOAA Weather Radio Transmitter installed near Medill, Missouri. This transmitter is part of the Iowa Weather Radio expansion project.

June 1, 2000... New NOAA Weather Radio Transmitter installed near Macomb, Illinois. This transmitter is part of the Iowa Weather Radio expansion project.

November 16, 2000... Zone Forecasts expanded from 5 days to 7 days.

March 20, 2001... First Fire Weather Spot Forecast issued from this office.

October 2, 2001... New NOAA Weather Radio Transmitter installed near Maquoketa, Iowa. This transmitter is part of the Iowa Weather Radio expansion project.

October 4, 2001... New NOAA Weather Radio Transmitter installed near Freeport, Illinois, bringing the office total to 10 transmitters and county warning area coverage to 100%.

January 1, 2002... First Digital (Numerical) Forecast issued by this office.

May 1, 2002... First Graphical Forecasts posted to the internet by this office.

June 20, 2002... New computer voice (known as "Craig") first aired on the 10 NOAA Weather Radio stations operated from this office. Craig broadcast the tone alert test.