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(Des Moines, IA) -- The National Weather Service in Des Moines is asking for Iowans to join their Cooperative Observer Program. The NWS program began in the late 1800s. Observers use equipment from the National Weather Service to record daily high and low temperatures, as well as precipitation and snowfall amounts, usually at 7 a.m.
The NWS says the program is currently struggling with numerous vacancies leading to gaps in the climate record in many locations.
These official records are invaluable to learning more about floods, droughts, heat and cold waves, agricultural planning and assessment, engineering, and litigation. Observations can also play a critical part in deciding whether local communities receive state and federal disaster declarations and benefits. If observations are not available for your location, officials may determine these declarations, with hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars on the line, based on surrounding observations, which may or may not be representative of your community.
Those interested are asked to contact either Cory Martin or Allan Curtis by emailing our office at dmx.coop@noaa.gov or calling (515) 270-4501.
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