52 ANNUAL EEPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTUEE. 



ice is being restored gradually, and its importance is enhanced on 

 account of the policy of extending the merchant marine of the United 

 States, and also extensive navigation of the air over the oceans, which 

 the future is sure to see accomplished. 



Details of the major activities and work of the Bureau follow: 



FORECAST SERVICE. 



The general forecast service continued in operation as in the past 

 several years. This plan consists of: (a) The Supervising Fore- 

 caster at the central office, Washington, D. C., who has general charge 

 of the forecast w^ork of the Weather Bureau and regularly makes 

 the day-to-day forecasts and special warnings for the Washington 

 forecast district and warnings of storms and dangerous winds for 

 the Great Lakes, the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and the West Indian 

 waters; (b) district forecasters at the Chicago, New Orleans, Den- 

 ver, and San Francisco forecast district centers, Avho have to do with 

 the preparation and dissemination of forecasts and warnings for their 

 respective districts; (c) a district forecaster at San Juan, P. R., 

 who has charge of the issue of forecasts and warnings for that part 

 of the West Indies lying east of longitude 70 Avest; (d) a dis- 

 trict forecaster at Juneau, Alaska, who issues daily forecasts for 

 the Juneau district of southeastern Alaska throughout the year, and 

 for the lower Tanana Valley during the period of low temperatures ; 

 and (e) local forecast officials located in many cities of importance 

 who prepare forecasts of weather, temperature, and wind for their 

 respective limited regions. The forecast districts with headquarters 

 at San Juan and Juneau were organized during the fiscal year ended 

 June 30, 1919 ; otherwise there was no change in the general plan of 

 organization. 



FORECAST OFFICIALS. 



The officials assigned to forecast service are selected only after 

 long preliminary training and through competitive tests that ex- 

 tend through one or more years. It is necessary that the officials 

 engaged in this work have a fundamental training in the laws of 

 atmospherics and also that they be temperamentally fitted for the 

 work, which, at times, is extremely arduous and requires the con- 

 stant attention of the one engaged therein. In addition to the 

 officials that are actually engaged on this work, there are of the 

 younger men of the Bureau approximately 40 who engage in what 

 IS termed "practice forecasting," fitting themselves to later become 

 local forecasters and yet later, in the event of special aptitude and 

 success, to become assistants to district forecasters. This system of 

 training forecasters must necessarily rest in the Weather Bureau, 

 for there is no outside institution of learning Avhere one might 

 perfect himself in the art of weather forecasting. 



FORECASTS AND WARNINGS. 



The forecasts that are regularly issued by the Bureau are adapted 

 to the many varied demands for them. In general, they consist of 

 the following: 



(a) Day-to-day forecasts, for 36 to 48 hours in advance, of the 

 general weather, temperature, and wind conditions for the various 



