These observations are made by volunteers, using equipment provided by the National Weather Service. There are more than 12,000 volunteer cooperative observers scattered over the United States and they are a crucial source of weather information for the National Weather Service.
Meteorological data gathered by volunteer observers benefit many segments of American life.
In addition to making up the national climatic record, the information is valuable to various public and private users, including farmers, ranchers, builders, utility companies an, of course, national parks. Cooperative weather observers are dedicated private citizens who provide dependable and accurate daily records of temperature and precipitation to assist the National Weather Service in fulfilling its mission. The modernization of the National Weather Service has fostered the rapid growth of the cooperative weather observing program in Alaska, with nearly 200 sites in Northern Alaska alone. Despite hazardous conditions and temperatures that often plummet dangerously low, observers provide highly accurate and timely records while taking care to maintain equipment in all kinds of weather conditions. But, when combined with the modern technology of satellites, Doppler radar, and computer models, the NWS has the ability to provide the best possible weather services to all Alaskans.