Why the Philly area’s National Weather Service office is in Mount Holly

Have you checked the Philadelphia weather lately? No matter where in the region you are, the forecast is coming from Mount Holly, N.J.

But why do we turn to New Jersey for information about the weather in Philly? And why is the local National Weather Service office located in Mount Holly?

That is what one reader asked Curious Philly, The Inquirer’s forum for questions about the city and region.

The government agency has 122 weather forecast offices nationwide, with the Mount Holly office serving much of eastern Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, as well as most of New Jersey, Delaware, and the eastern shore of Maryland.

Five weather offices cover Pennsylvania. Depending on your location within the state your report might be coming from Cleveland; Pittsburgh; State College, Pa.; Binghamton, N.Y.; or Mount Holly.

Simply put, the local weather service office moved there because it’s closer to the radar.

“Our office was moved from Philadelphia to Mount Holly to be closer to the radar that serves the Philadelphia region,” National Weather Service meteorologist Amanda Lee said.

That’s right, the regional National Weather Service office was located in Philadelphia until 1993.

According to Lee, the Philadelphia office was among the first to open in 1870, when President Ulysses S. Grant approved the creation of a weather-monitoring service.

The office had four locations throughout the city until it landed at the Philadelphia International Airport in 1940.

In 1969, the weather service opened a different office for the radar, for forecast operations, at the Fort Dix military base in New Jersey.

By 1993, according to Lee, it was decided to close the Philadelphia office and move to Mount Holly to be closer to the radar that helps the National Weather Service monitor potential flooding, precipitation, and weather elements including tornados and thunderstorms. Mount Holly is within 15 miles of the radar, 30 miles closer than when the office was in Philly.

Today, the 25 Mount Holly forecasters, managers, and technicians keep Philadelphians weather savvy. With two to six forecasters on daily duty, their mission is to “provide weather and climate data forecasts [...] so that way we can protect lives and property,” Lee added.

With a winter storm bringing several inches of snow to Philadelphia, we want to know what else you’re wondering about the snow and weather in the region. Let us know by filling out the form below.