Most people know that the National Weather Service in Elko forecasts weather for Humboldt County, and issues warnings for tornados, floods, snow, and dust storms, among other things. Few realize that they also gather critical climate information from citizens here in the county. The NWS' Co-operative Observer (CO-OP) Program is the nation's way of collecting the kind of weather information that meteorologists, climatologists, and even private companies, use for forecasts and to plan for things like water supplies, crop and livestock reports, environmental impact assessments, utilities planning, and climate change models.
But who actually takes the temperature and measures the snow and rain? The answers might surprise you. Dan and Cindy Salvador live in Winnemucca. Jim and Rosalie Moser live in Orovada. The agency supplies them weather equipment and training. In return, they observe the weather report it every day. Initially, the observations were written on a special form and mailed in monthly. As technology caught up with weather, the observations were phoned in. Now, they fill in a web form online which appears immediately in the National Weather Service's database, for true on-the-ground reporting.
Being a cooperative observer is an investment in time, energy, and knowledge. The Salvadors were recently recognized for observing Winnemucca weather every day for 15 years and the Mosers for 20 years. Delyne Kirkham, a hydrometeorological technician in Elko, shares responsibility for the CO-OP program in northern Nevada and traveled to Winnemucca and Orovada to present the awards.
"The Salvadors and the Mosers were reluctant to receive recognition for something they consider as part their responsibility to Nevadans", said Kirkham. Mr. Moser described the wisdom he and his wife have gained from their work. "We have learned that, no matter what the equipment shows, we can weather any storm."
For more information on the cooperative weather observing program, go on the web to http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/coop/what-is-coop.html. If you want to just measure rain, snow, and hail at your home or business, the National Weather Service can use your help. Visit http://cocorahs.org/ to learn how.[[In-content Ad]]
