Some also record additional information such as soil temperature, evaporation and wind movement, agricultural data, water equivalent of snow on the ground, river stages, lake levels, atmospheric phenomena, and road hazards. NWS Bismarck works with about 160 observers in western and central North Dakota. Many Cooperative Stations in the United States have been collecting weather data from the same location for over 100 years. Data collected from cooperative observers is used to help contractors design heating and air conditioning for buildings, and tell road builders bidding for highway contracts how many days they should allow for rain, snow or freezing conditions. They help farmers estimate when to plant and harvest, and aid geneticists in developing hardier crop strains.
Insurance companies plug the weather data into actuarial tables for crop insurance.
Attorneys seek information on road conditions for clients who are suing or being sued over traffic accidents. Government summaries of data collected from their decades of regularized observations have proved invaluable to the development of American commerce and life styles. Check back in the future to see what awards have been given to some of the cooperative observers across the Western two-thirds of North Dakota. To find out more about the CO-OP program visit the NWS Central Region Coop Homepage . 25 Year Length of Service Olson, D .