100 Years of Weather Observations at Belvedere Castle in New York City's Central Park

January 1, 2020 marks the 100^th anniversary since weather observations were first recorded at Belvedere Castle in New York City’s Central Park. While many other major cities across the United States have lost their official urban center or downtown weather stations to airports, New York City remains an anomaly today in still having an official weather station used for climate records located not at an airport. The history of the Central Park site goes way back to 1867 when officials who oversaw Central Park desired a way to collect weather observations in order to better understand the implications of weather and climate on the park. This subsequently led to the establishment of the New York Meteorological Observatory which established the initial site at the Arsenal Building in Central Park that forms the cornerstone of the modern New York City climatological record. Following the retirement of the Observatory’s Director, Dr. Daniel Draper, the site came under the role of the U.S. Weather Bureau. Through coordination with the City of New York, the site was relocated to Belvedere Castle in 1920. Over the years, modernization of equipment, staffing changes and even New York City’s history itself played a role in this site. Nevertheless it continues to provide a record in a location that has seen little movement of significance with the equipment’s location in 100 years, a feat tough to do at most weather stations. This presentation will explore the history of the site and the key figures and partnerships that have kept this station going today providing one of the most significant meteorological observations nationally and even one of global significance given its location in the heart of New York City.