NOAA 2004-R299-14 |
NOAA
News Releases 2004 NOAA Home Page NOAA Public Affairs |
Recognizing 25 years of service to America, NOAA’s National Weather
Service has named Clinton, Iowa, resident James C. Blaess a 2004 recipient
of the agency’s John Campanius Holm Award for outstanding service
in the Cooperative Weather Observer Program. The award is the agency’s
second most prestigious and only 25 are presented this year to deserving
cooperative weather observers from around the country. NOAA, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is an agency of the U.S. Department
of Commerce.
“Cooperative observers are the bedrock of weather data collection and analysis,” said retired Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service. “Satellites, high-speed computers, mathematical models and other technological breakthroughs have brought great benefits to the nation in terms of better forecasts and warnings. But, without the century-long accumulation of accurate weather observations taken by volunteer observers, scientists could not begin to adequately describe the climate of the United States. We cannot thank Mr. Blaess enough for his years of service to America.” James Belles, meteorologist in charge of NOAA’s Quad Cities weather forecast office in Davenport, Iowa, will present the award during a Sept. 30 ceremony at the Clinton Holiday Inn. Program manager William Elliott of the Quad Cities office nominated Blaess for the award. The NWS Cooperative Weather Observer Program has given scientists and researchers continuous observational data since the program’s inception more than 100 years ago. Today, more than 11,000 volunteer observers participate in the nationwide program to provide daily reports on temperature, precipitation and other weather factors such as snow depth, river levels and soil temperature. On Sept. 24, 1979, Blaess took over operation of the Clinton #1 station established by his family in June 1958. One of the few observers north of the Quad Cities, Blaess, who is also a severe storm spotter for the NWS, also provides climate data to local media and several local businesses. Weather records retain their importance as time goes by. Long and continuous records provide an accurate picture of a locale’s normal weather, and give climatologists and others a basis for predicting future trends. These data are invaluable for scientists studying floods, droughts and heat and cold waves. At the end of each month, observers mail their records to the National Climatic Data Center for publication in “Climatological Data” or “Hourly Precipitation Data.” The first extensive network of cooperative stations was set up in the 1890s as a result of an 1890 act of Congress that established the U.S. Weather Bureau. Many of the stations have even longer histories. John Campanius Holm’s weather records, taken without benefit of instruments in 1644 and 1645, were the earliest known recorded observations in the United States. Many historic figures have also maintained weather records, including Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson maintained an almost unbroken record of weather observations between 1776 and 1816, and Washington took weather observations just a few days before he died. The Jefferson and Holm awards are named for these weather observation pioneers. NOAA’s National Weather Service is the primary source of weather data, forecasts and warnings for the United States and its territories. NOAA’s National Weather Service operates the most advanced weather and flood warning and forecast system in the world, helping to protect lives and property and enhance the national economy. NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather- and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the Nation’s coastal and marine resources. On the Web: NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov National Weather Service: http://www.nws.noaa.gov NWS
Cooperative Observer Program: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/coop/index.htm |