Cooperative Observer Program

The National Weather Service office in Lincoln operates a network of over 100 cooperative weather observers. These observers, most of whom volunteer their services, take daily observations of temperature, precipitation, or river levels. These observations are used by the local NWS forecasters, the River Forecast Centers in Minneapolis and Wilmington OH, and the media. They are also archived at the National Center for Environmental Information in Asheville, North Carolina, and are important in studying the long-term climate of the area.

The Lincoln NWS personnel that assist with the cooperative observation program are:

Billy Ousley - Data Acquisition Program Manager (DAPM):
The DAPM oversees data collection, quality control, and dissemination of observational data from the office. This includes the operations of the cooperative observer program, climate data, river observations, and upper-air observations. He also assists in establishing new coop stations.
Darrin Hansing - Service Hydrologist (SH):
The Service Hydrologist is in charge of the office's Hydrology Program. This involves river, flood, and water-supply forecasts, and necessary research. The hydrologist is the primary contact with external agencies such as the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). He works with River Forecast Centers to make sure needed river and precipitation stations are operating, and the data is of high quality.
Chris Geelhart - Meteorologist (MET):
Assists in maintenance of the database of stations, notifying offices of changes in stations or establishment of new stations.
Eric Laufenberg - HydroMeteorological Technician (HMT):
Assists in quality control of the monthly observation forms, contacting observers for corrections or clarifications.
John Parr - HydroMeteorological Technician (HMT):
Assists with station maintenance, and quality control of the monthly observation forms.
Chuck Schaffer - Meteorologist Intern (MIT):
Quality controls the observer data, and works with the National Center for Environmental Information on corrections or clarifications.
Scott Baker - Meteorologist Intern (MIT):
Assists in quality control of the monthly observation forms, and maintains the database of stations, notifying offices of changes in stations or establishment of new stations.

Cooperative Observer Program Topics:
COOP Home, Latest Observations, Observation Techniques,
Equipment, Program News, National COOP Page