National Weather Service Seeking West Texas Volunteers

Are you a weather geek? Do you constantly check your phone or computer for the latest forecasts in your area? Yeah, me too. That's why I was shocked to see that the National Weather Service is asking citizens right here in West Texas for help in taking daily weather observations through the Cooperative Observer Program!

Of course, there are a few guidelines that need to be met before we can all go ahead and apply.

What is the Cooperative Observer Program?

I'm so glad you asked! It's not just me who hasn't heard of it. The National Weather Service Cooperative Observer Program is a network built up of over 8,700 volunteers who gather weather data from their farms or in urban areas or National Parks.

Get this: the program was first created way back in 1890 with the core mission of tracking any changes in the climate patterns that nearby residents need to know by providing 24-hour, real-time data.

As a volunteer for the Coop program, you would be responsible for electronically sending the recorded temperatures and precipitation totals to the National Weather Service.

If you really want to score extra points, many volunteer observers also contribute evaporation and soil temperatures from their properties. Oh, and don't worry if you don't have the necessary instruments for gathering these data—the National Weather Service will help you out by either providing what you need or by pointing you in the right direction.

You can learn more about the Cooperative Observer Program by visiting their webpage from the National Weather Service.

How to Become an Observer

In order to be eligible to apply for a volunteer position with the National Weather Service, there are a few requirements. Are you ready? You must currently live in either Tahoka or Brownfield... that's it.

For more information on applying, send an email to sr-lub.webmaster@noaa.gov.