The US Weather Bureau on Hatteras Island

A quiet stop into Cape Hatteras National Seashore's weather-watching history, right in Hatteras village

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Hatteras, NC

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The U.S. Weather Bureau on Hatteras Island is a historic building in Hatteras village, at the southern end of Hatteras Island, preserved and maintained by the National Park Service as part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The name says most of what's confirmed about it: this was once a working U.S. Weather Bureau post, part of the coastal weather-observation network that predates the modern National Weather Service, and it now stands as one of the seashore's quieter historic sites rather than a major attraction.

Hatteras village sits at the far southern tip of the island, past Avon and Buxton, and is also the departure point for the free NC ferry to Ocracoke — so this is an easy stop to fold into a day spent at that end of the island, whether waiting on a ferry or working your way down NC-12. The site is open daily from 9am to 4pm. Weather and road conditions matter more here than almost anywhere else on the Outer Banks — NC-12 closures during storms are a real, recurring feature of life on Hatteras Island, especially during hurricane season (June through November) — so it's worth calling ahead at (252) 986-2203 or checking the NPS page linked above before making the trip, particularly outside peak season.

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4.5

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Kristina Silvestry

2 weeks ago

We had such a wonderful afternoon visiting the U.S. Weather Bureau Station on Hatteras Island, and Mike truly made the experience for us. He was incredibly knowledgeable, not only about the station itself, but about the history of the area and all of the fascinating stories connected to it. I don’t want to give too much away because part of the fun is hearing it all while you’re there! Mike is originally from Brooklyn, was warm, funny, engaging, and just such a genuinely great human. You could tell how much he knows and how much he enjoys sharing it with the people who walk through the door. We went in expecting to see an interesting historic place and left feeling like we had spent the afternoon learning, laughing, and talking with someone we were genuinely happy to have met. Such a fascinating little piece of Hatteras Island history, and Mike absolutely made our afternoon. If you visit, take your time, ask questions, and enjoy the stories. We’re so glad we stopped in!

Carol

a month ago

Nice building. A couple of displays about the Wrights and a small room about the weather. Lots of visitors information.

Tyler Sabo

4 months ago

Very interesting and wonderfully presented part of Cape Hatteras history. It's a must see if you like weather and want to learn about Hatteras's place in history. The staff here are very kind and knowledgeable, and it was great to see the Weather Bureau Station in such great shape. For those of you who collect National Parks Passport Stamps, they have one here for the Station.

Brian N

11 months ago

The lady working here was super rude out of nowhere when we asked about the Titanic telegram. Smh

Bruce InCharlotte

a year ago

Hatteras, North Carolina is a beautifully preserved relic of early 20th-century meteorology and coastal resilience. Originally built in 1901 and opened in 1902, the station was part of a national network designed to monitor and report weather conditions in regions vulnerable to severe storms and maritime hazards. Strategically located where the Gulf Stream and Labrador Current collide, Cape Hatteras was a critical site for forecasting and maritime safety. What makes this station especially compelling is its little-known connection to one of history’s most infamous maritime disasters—the sinking of the RMS Titanic. At 11:25 p.m. Hatteras time on the evening of April 14, 1912, station operators Richard Dailey and Horace Gaskins got the Titanic's distress message, which read, "CQD: Have Struck Iceberg." A young David Sarnoff, who would go on to become president of RCA, received this communication, which was transmitted just minutes before the ship's final plunge, after it was forwarded to the New York Station. Sarnoff thought the Titanic was unsinkable at the time, so he brushed the warning aside as a prank. The telegram's transmission from the Hatteras station adds a melancholy element to the building's past, and it continues to stand as a disturbing reminder of squandered opportunities and poor judgment.