The National Weather Service in North Little Rock is looking for residents of several small Arkansas towns to record daily climate data and carry on a tradition that began 140 years ago.
The service is seeking people to become weather observers in Deer, Swain or Nailin Newton County; Gamaliel in Baxter County; Grubbs in Jackson County; Hampton in Calhoun County; Hattieville in Conway County; Ozone in Johnson County; and Warren in Bradley County.
“These are in small communities, and there’s a limited number of people to choose from,” said National Weather Service warning coordinator John Robinson, who has overseen the observer program for more than three decades. “But they are important. A lot of our stations are in river basins, and we use the data collected for river forecasting. If you don’t have stations around, you don’t get information like what we need.”
There are more than 125 observers in the district covered by the weather service in North Little Rock, which covers all but the extreme four corners of the state. The observers record daily temperatures, rainfall and snowfall accumulations, and atmospheric conditions. They either call the service with the information, send it by email or post it on the service’s website.
Many of the observatory stations began collecting data in the 1870s and 1880s. One station in Clarksville has been in operation - with only sporadic short breaks - since 1871.
With the exception of December 1874 through February 1875, the station in Little Rock has recorded daily readings since June 28, 1874.
Those who want to become observers in the needed towns are asked to call the weather service in North Little Rock at (501) 834-0308. Meteorologists will set up rain gauges and temperature-recording devices at the homes of those chosen, Robinson said. The service will repair the equipment if it breaks down.
Robinson said he hopes to fill the positions soon. Each of the stations in search of new observers has provided valuable data to the weather service, Robinson said.
In Grubbs, flooding occurs on the nearby Cache River in the spring, and the weather service needs daily rainfall totals to help with forecasting the crests of the river.
Gamaliel, although near Mountain Home, often differs in temperature from the Baxter County seat. Robinson said those variations can help forecasters better predict the accumulations of snow and rain for specific areas.
Warren is in an agricultural area where rainfall is important, he said.
The Ozone station is in the Ozark National Forest where, because of the hilly terrain and climate, the area often receives more rainfall.
Because of years of collected weather data, meteorologists were able to predict last year’s deadly flash flooding in Scott County as a storm approached May 30. Heavy storms dumped 7.78 inches of rain on the area that day, causing widespread flooding.
“By looking at the climatology of the area, we knew that the area was typically the wettest place in Arkansas,” Robinson said. “We knew this because of our observers.”
Many of the observers have recorded data for years,and once they retire, move or die, it’s harder to recruit replacements, Robinson said.
“Lifestyles are different now,” he said. “A lot of our stations are run by older folks. If you take vacations, you have to find someone to cover for you. It’s not as easy as it seems.”
But there are benefits to being an observer. In smaller towns, observers are known as the “community weatherman,” and they take on a type of celebrity, Robinson said.
Before he passed away last year, Harold Bing of Gilbert often would have people drop by his home in the Searcy County town to ask him for weather forecasts. Bing collected daily weather readings for more than 20 years until he died in October. A relative has since taken over the observations in Gilbert.
In Des Arc, Dean Walls, the publisher of the White River Journal, and her son, Charles Walls, are the observers. Dean Walls, 93, began compiling the daily weather records in the northern Prairie County town more than 25 years ago.
Charles Walls said his newspaper reports the weekly weather information. “We may be doing a service for the weather service, but they’re helping us,” he said.
There are days, however, that make the job a bit difficult, he said.
“If it’s pouring down rain, you have to get your umbrella, go outside and measure the rain in the rain,” he said.
Sometimes, Charles Walls said, it’s a cold venture outside to check the rain gauge. On March 2, 2 inches of sleet fell on Des Arc, and the temperatures dipped below freezing. He had left a brass tube in the gauge, causing the gauge to crack when it froze.
“It’s a chore,” Dean Walls added. “It’s like tending chickens and cows. You’ve got to do it every day.”
Arkansas, Pages 15 on 03/30/2014