KOOSHAREM, Sevier County -- For more than 50 years, in sunshine, rain or snow, George S. Hatch has trekked into his yard each evening at 6 p.m. for one purpose -- to check weather data.
For voluntarily keeping weather records and reporting data, Hatch has earned the National Weather Service's Stoll Award, which is given to volunteer weather watchers for 50 years of continuous weather observation.Hatch was recently honored by Koosharem residents and National Weather Service representatives when he was presented the award.
"In small towns like this, things haven't changed much in the past 100 years, and it gives scientists a good base line for studying climate changes," said Jim Campbell, deputy director of the NWS Western Region.
He points out that keeping track of climatology in large cities is sometimes misleading because cities produce heat that can affect the accuracy of readings. Readings obtained by volunteer weather observers are used by a wide variety of industries.
"There have been times when I wished that I didn't have so much snow to wade through," Hatch said at the presentation ceremony.
But he doesn't have to walk out to his wooden shed to get the readings anymore. Two years ago, the NWS installed a digital thermometer in his home.