Since February 1, 1885, observers on Great Blue Hill have recorded the weather every day. This is where we show what that work makes possible, who relies on it, how it is funded, and how we account for it.
One line for every year since the first observation. The dashed lines are the years still ahead of our 150th in 2035.
Consecutive days observed, February 1, 1885 through August 31, 2026.
Individual donors in FY2026, twice as many as the year before.
Visitors to the summit each year.
Students and educators reached by our STEM programs each year.
Explore our impact
How 407 donors carried the record through a hard year.
Read the reportWho relies on 141 years of observations, and why.
Science and data15,000 visitors and 4,000 students and educators a year.
Our programsFacts, financials, governance, and ready-to-use language.
Funder resourcesEvidence that it works
Of teachers surveyed said students analyzed authentic data and drew conclusions.
Launch Your Meteorology Career students improved at reading weather maps in one week.
“It’s local, it’s historically significant, it’s welcoming, it’s well staffed, and a pleasure.”
Impact report
How 407 donors carried a 141-year scientific record through a hard year. Our FY2026 Donor Impact Report covers September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026.
Why the record matters
Observers on Great Blue Hill have recorded the weather every day since 1885, with the same care and consistent methods. That consistency lets scientists compare a winter today with a winter in the 1890s and trust the difference.
Once a day is missed, it is gone for good. Each year the record continues, it becomes harder to replace and more useful to the researchers, educators, and forecasters who rely on it.
Continuous weather record in the Western Hemisphere.
Privately operated WMO Centennial Observing Station in the United States.
A National Historic Landmark on the summit of Great Blue Hill.
Where support goes next
The people, instruments, and facilities behind an observation that cannot be taken again once it is missed. Today a trained observer covers about 3,700 hours a year on the summit, and our budget pays for roughly 2,860 of them.
More students, families, and visitors experiencing science on the summit, in our classrooms, and online.
More than 100 years of the record live in handwritten logbooks. Digitizing them lets researchers, educators, and the public put the full record to work.
Accountability
Total revenue received in fiscal year 2026.
Of that revenue came from individual donors.
Our fiscal year 2027 operating budget.
The rest of our revenue comes from our contract with the National Weather Service, Massachusetts state funding, tours, the gift shop and education programs, and the foundations and corporate partners who believe in our work.
In fiscal year 2026 we adopted new bylaws and elected a new Board of Trustees, with committees for finance and audit, governance and nominations, and development.
Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, 2026. The highest level of transparency Candid awards. View our profile
With thanks to our public partners, the National Weather Service, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
A trained observer has to be on the summit every day of the year, including weekends, holidays, and storms. A gift of any size helps keep them there.
Monthly Skymail, event announcements, and research summaries.
