"The goal of this study is to document the primary weather observational path at Peoria, Illinois, leading to the current and on-going National Weather Service observing program. The challenge was to identify and define the roots of the path that began in the 1850s. Though other weather observers have been in the Peoria area those not considered part of the original path have been excluded from this study. This does not minimize the importance of these collateral observations, but does allow for the focusing on the formal weather observing program that continues to this day. Throughout the research for and preparation of this study, the goal was to produce a document that future studies can use to evaluate the validity of the data that were collected here, judge the trustworthiness of the observers who collected them, and determine the climatological significance of any variability or change discerned"--Introduction.

National Environmental Satellite and Data Information Service (NESDIS)