Lancaster ARS honored by National Weather Service for 50 years of weather observations

Lancaster Agriculture Research Station was recently awarded a Cooperative Observer Length of Service Award from the National Weather Service for faithfully and accurately providing 50 years of weather observations to NWS. Lancaster ARS staff started taking daily weather observations at the station on Sept. 1, 1974.
The award was presented to station staff on Nov. 12, 2024 by Observation Program Leader Dan Jones and Meteorologist-in-Charge Todd Shea from the National Weather Service in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
“Lancaster Agricultural Research Station is 61 years old, so these 50 years have spanned most of the existence of the station –– and also involved all three of our station superintendents and most of our staff,” says Arin Crooks, superintendent of Lancaster ARS. “It has become such a traditional part of our efforts that we don’t always recognize the benefits that come from this daily routine. From supporting long-term historical weather data for our region, to reporting local weather for our surrounding communities, to gathering data for our CALS research community, there are multiple benefits from this cooperative effort.”
Lancaster ARS is located in the state’s Driftless Area, a region known for its relatively hilly and rugged terrain. Research at the station focuses on finding solutions to the various challenges of farming sustainably in this unique area, including controlling soil erosion on the steep hillsides. Research projects cover soil management, crop production and raising beef with an emphasis on grazing.
The weather station located at Lancaster is part of a unique set of stations called the U.S. Historical Climatology Network (USHCN). Data from the USHCN are used to quantify national- and regional-scale temperature changes in the contiguous United States. The USHCN is a designated subset of NOAA’s Cooperative Observer Program Network with sites selected according to their spatial coverage, record length, data completeness, and historical stability.
The daily temperature, precipitation, and snowfall data collected becomes a permanent part of the climatic record for the local area and nation. These data are used extensively by many other sectors including the National Weather Service and state climatologists. This data is also used by numerous others in the public and private sectors for agricultural planning and assessment, engineering, environmental-impact assessment, utilities planning, and litigation.
“Automated and computerized weather data collection offer advantages in certain aspects, and we do have an automated system here to record temperatures and rainfall data that we download and forward to NWS each month,” explains Crooks. “But we also take daily measurements of the same things in person, and we send those hand-recorded measurements to the NWS office on a daily basis. And there are still some data that can only be taken in person. For instance, snow and frost measurements must be recorded by hand by our staff.”
The NWS award was developed to recognize all of the cooperative weather observers who have quietly and steadily built up what to amounts to a priceless national treasure through steadfast service.
“The award presentation event was a nice gathering to take a moment to recognize this accomplishment,” says Crooks. “It was a nice opportunity to recognize the 50 years of the station’s cooperation and efforts to support the National Weather Service, UW–Madison CALS and our local communities.”