Courtenay couple honored for 40 years of weather observations

Steve and Sherry Somsen of Courtenay, North Dakota, recently were awarded the 40 Year Length of Service Award for 40
years of taking and recording weather observations for the National Weather Service (NWS).

The NWS Cooperative Weather Program (COOP) is the nation’s weather and climate observing network of, by and for the people, the National Weather Service said. More than 8,700 volunteers take observations on farms, in urban and suburban areas, national parks, seashores and mountain tops. The data are truly representative of where people live, work and play, the weather service says.

The COOP was formerly created in 1890 under the Organic Act. Its mission is two-fold:

• To provide observational meteorological data, usually consisting of daily maximum and minimum temperatures, snowfall, and 24-hour precipitation totals, required to define the climate of the United States and to help measure long-term climate changes.
• To provide observational meteorological data in near real-time to support forecast, warning and other public service programs of the NWS.

The Somsens have been reporting precipitation, snowfall and snow depth at their residence since July of 1982.