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WEATHER OBSERVER RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD

An Oklahoman is one of only 25 people nationwide to receive the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's John Campanius Holm Award for exceptional volunteer service as a weather observer.

On Tuesday, National Weather Service (NWS) representatives presented Bonnie L. Jantz of Helena, Okla., with the prestigious award for her outstanding achievements in the field of meteorological observations during a banquet held in her honor.

A cooperative observer for 34 years, Jantz reports temperature and precipitation measurements daily to the NWS Forecast Office in Norman. Also, when called upon, she provides real time observations of weather as it is happening at any time of the day or night.

The information she provides is used by forecasters in their day-to-day operations and to issue river forecasts. In addition, these records are published monthly by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center and provide long-term climate information for NOAA researchers

"Mrs. Jantz's weather records are always neat and accurate, and are received in our Norman office in a timely manner," said Dennis McCarthy, meteorologist-in-charge of the Norman office. "This award not only recognizes the quality of her work and her dedication to the job, but also the important role she serves as the connection between her community and the National Weather Service."

Jantz makes her weather records available to all those in her local community who are interested. She said she feels her cooperative weather duties are "thrilling, exciting and interesting" and considers these duties a very important part of her life.

More than 300 people in Oklahoma and 11,000 across the nation participate in the National Weather Service's cooperative observer program, which began about 100 years ago. Their information provides a historical climatological record for the United States.

The Holm Award was created in 1959 as a way for the National Weather Service to honor cooperative weather observers for outstanding accomplishments in the field of meteorological observations. It is named for a Lutheran minister, John Campanius Holm, the first person known to have taken systematic weather observations in the American Colonies. Reverend Holm made observations of climate without the use of instruments in 1644 and 1645, near the present site of Wilmington, Delaware. In later years, his son had his records published.