VETERAN BOERNE, TEXAS WEATHER OBSERVER
RECEIVES NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RECOGNITION

NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS), an agency of the Department of Commerce, will present its John Campanius Holm Award to veteran weather observer Edgar Schwarz Jr. of Boerne, Texas. Each year, the coveted Holm Award is presented to 25 people who have performed exceptional volunteer service as a weather
observer. Schwarz will be honored in a ceremony at the Country Spirit restaurant in Boerne, January 8.

“Schwarz and the other recipients all share a common bond of dedication to their communities, the National Weather Service and the nation,” said Bill Proenza, director of the National Weather Service, Southern Region. “Their commitment to excellence in the performance of their observation duties, is worthy of special recognition.”

Since becoming a cooperative observer a little over 35 years ago, Schwarz has provided timely and accurate weather data to the NWS Weather Forecast Office (WFO) serving Austin/San Antonio. During this period, he established an unbroken record of daily temperature and precipitation observations. His exceptional record keeping and reporting continues a history of cooperative observation at the Boerne station dating back to 1876.

His voluntary reports on weather conditions in the western portion of the Texas Hill Country are critical to the WFO’s ability to issue severe weather and flood warnings for the Kendall County area.

Schwarz has also served as a cooperative rainfall observer for the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) since 1968. While his station is not located in the Colorado River watershed, his reports have helped the LCRA gauge the rainfall in storms moving into the watershed from the south and southwest.

The National Weather Service’s Cooperative Observer Program began approximately 100 years ago. Today, more than 11,000 dedicated observers across the nation continue the tradition of service that has provided the United States with an unparalleled record of historical climatological data.

Created in 1959, the Holm Award is named for a Lutheran minister, John Campanius Holm. Holm is the first person known to have taken systematic weather observations in the American Colonies. Working without instruments, Holm made his observations at a site near Wilmington, Del., from 1644 to 1645.

NOAA’s National Weather Service is the primary source of weather data, forecasts and warnings for the United States and its territories. The National Weather Service operates the most advanced weather and flood warning and forecast system in the world.

The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 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 our nation’s coastal and marine resources.

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