Embedded Files
Cooperative Observer Program
The Smith Planetarium hosts a NOAA weather monitoring station on site. Our equipment consists of a Fisher-Porter automatic precipitation guage, an 8" rain guage, a max/min temperature sensor (MMTS) and a Nimbus digital thermometer. From this station, we collect real time weather data for the National Weather Service (NWS). This data consists of daily highs & lows, rainfall, snowfall, temperature & precipitation levels. Rainfall is updated every 15 min. and temperatures are updated every 10 sec. Temperature & precipitation levels are recorded on an hourly, daily, weekly and monthly rate.
All of this data is sent to the GA state forecasting office in Peachtree City. It can then be used by meteorologists to help construct climate models, make weather predictions and produce forecasts. We are one of only two stations in Walker Co. Our coverage area consists of the central part of the county and includes the Chickamauga & Rock Spring areas. If needed, our station can also serve as an alternate for Lovell Field in Chattanooga, TN.
About The Program
The Cooperative Observer Program (Coop) was initiated by an act of Congress in 1890 to provide daily meteorological observations of minimum and maximum precipitation, snowfall and temperature and play a supportive role for weather forecasting, early warning and public service purposes. Today the program has nearly 10,000 volunteers that contribute to daily measurements in a variety of locales, from urban to rural, across the nation.
The NWS supports Coop through the selection of observation locations, recruitment and training of observers, installation of equipment, as well as maintenance, collection and disbursement of data with the help of the National Climate Data Center (NCDC). The establishment of the Weather Bureau in 1890 created the first network of Coop weather stations. Since then, volunteer weather observation has served as the backbone of U.S. climate data, crediting the Coop Network for establishing the most definitive source of weather data for the United States.
The National Weather Service's (NWS) Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) is the nation's largest and oldest weather network. It was established in 1891 to formalize the collection of meteorological observations and establish/record climate conditions in the United States. Our nation has a long history of weather observations. Many citizens including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin maintained weather records. Today, more than 11,000 Cooperative Weather Observers across the United States donate more than one million hours each year to collect daily hydrometeorological data.
Page updated
Report abuse