L.A. PIERCE COLLEGE WEATHER STATION MARKS 75 YEARS OF SERVICE AS A CLIMATE WITNESS, PUBLIC RESOURCE, AND HANDS-ON SCIENCE LAB
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) honored the Pierce Weather Station’s contributions to weather tracking and climate science with a special recognition award during an anniversary event today, November 14, 2024. For 75 years, the Los Angeles Pierce College (LAPC) Weather Station has been much more than a place to check the temperature—it’s been Southern California’s witness to climate change and a one-of-a-kind outdoor classroom. Today's event allowed the public an opportunity to see this historic station up close and learn how it’s shaped our understanding of climate right here in Los Angeles.
ABC-7, Univision 34, L.A. Daily News and the Pierce College RoundUp were in attendance to help amplify the story of the LAPC Weather Station, one of California’s longest running cooperative weather stations located in the same place where it began. The LAPC Weather Station data has tracked everything from record-breaking 121-degree heat in 2020 to subtle shifts in rainfall patterns, helping scientists, Pierce college students and the public understand how climate change is impacting Southern California.
Founded in 1949 by Professor A. Lee Haines, the station was first established as part of the Clarence W. Pierce School of Agriculture, serving a small, all-male student body focused on botany and meteorology. Today, it’s an essential resource for a 25,000 diverse student body, blending hands-on learning with real-world data collection that contributes to national climate research.
