Weather Wizards (1939)

This 10-minute gem from 1939 transforms a simple weather warning into a gripping drama.

“Weather Wizards” is the battle between California farmers and an icy Alaskan cold front, where modern meteorology and sheer grit worked together to save the citrus groves from ruin.

Thanks to ​NonFics​ for pointing this out to me.

Watch “Weather Wizards” for Free Here

Ratings:

  • My Rating: 88/100
  • IMDB Rating: 6.3/10
  • Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: na/100 (Users); na/100 (Critics)

Release Date: 1939

My Review of “Weather Wizards”

The Setup

“Weather Wizards” is a short, nine-minute documentary created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

It tells the story of meteorologists—known as weather wizards.

Meteorologists in Alaska first spotted a giant mass of freezing air moving south. It traveled 500 miles per day, heading straight for California’s citrus farms.

With tools like teletype machines, weather maps, and balloons with tiny radio transmitters, meteorologists predicted freezing temperatures 48 hours in advance.

This early warning allowed farmers to prepare heaters to protect their trees. The movie shows how science, teamwork, and grit helped families like the Morgans survive in the face of nature’s wrath.

You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up

  • The Morgans had to light one orchard heater for every two trees in their grove, using diesel oil to create enough heat to fight off the frost. When diesel ran out, desperate farmers burned anything they could find, including their wooden fences, to keep the fires going.
  • Scientists used a tiny radio transmitter, attached to a balloon, to send live updates about air pressure, temperature, and humidity from the sky. This helped predict how much longer the frost would last.

More Highlights from the Doc

  • The movie explains the perfect recipe for a freeze: no wind, clear skies, and very dry air. These conditions cause temperatures to plummet and frost to form, which can kill crops.
  • The Morgans worked through the night, taking turns lighting heaters and monitoring temperatures.
  • A smoky fog from thousands of orchard heaters blanketed the area, slowing down trucks delivering more oil. Traffic jams made it even harder for farmers to get the fuel they desperately needed.
  • At one point, the Morgans had no diesel left. To save their trees, they dug holes in the ground, filled them with oil, and lit fires directly in the soil.

Lesser-Known Details from the Doc

  • The balloon radios were an advanced tool for the time. As the balloon rose, it sent back signals about weather conditions in the upper atmosphere. When it burst, the attached parachute brought the radio safely to the ground, where people could recover it for a cash reward.
  • Mrs. Morgan and other farmers’ wives played a key role in the battle. She removed curtains to stop fires from spreading and worked alongside her family all night.
  • The freezing temperatures made it hard for trucks to bring enough diesel to farmers. One scene shows the Morgan family scrambling to keep fires burning as their last oil supply ran out.
  • The frost didn’t just threaten crops—it could kill entire orange trees. Losing the orchard would have ruined the Morgans financially after years of hard work.

Wrap Up

“Weather Wizards” gives an amazing look at how farmers and scientists worked together to save crops during a killer frost. The film shows just how hard life was for families like the Morgans, who put everything on the line to keep their trees alive.

This short but exciting documentary is a mix of science, history, and human perseverance.

Watching it, you can’t help but cheer for the Morgan family—and the weather wizards—who worked tirelessly to beat the frost.

I love short old docs like this.

Thanks for reading!

Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc