TAE CPM

Cooperative Observer Program

A map showing cooperative observer sites within our county warning area.

The location of our climate and hourly precipitation sites are indicated by red circles. Our river gauge sites are shown as blue squares.

This page is presented to honor the National Weather Service's Cooperative Weather Observers.

The 11,700 Cooperative Weather Observers across the United States, including those in the Weather Service Forecast Office, Tallahassee area, net the public more per dollar expended than any other government service in the world. Cooperative Weather Observers donate more than a million hours each year to obtain weather data. Observers provide the precious stream of weather information that we need to forecast the weather, issue weather warnings, and record the climates of the United States.

Thomas Jefferson envisioned a nationwide network of weather observers as early as 1797, when he outlined a plan for providing weather instruments to someone in every county of Virginia, so that a regular statewide record might be maintained.

A plan of this kind was not established until almost 100 years later when, in 1891, the Weather Bureau was charged with the task of "taking such meteorological observations as may be necessary to establish and record the climatic conditions of the United States." In compliance with these directions, the Weather Bureau relied heavily, as it does to this day, on voluntary Cooperative Observers.

Cooperative Weather Observers come from all walks of life; they may be farmers, ranchers, lawyers, storekeepers, ministers, teachers, construction workers, and retirees. Organizations such as radio and television stations, schools, and public utilities are also examples of places that may maintain a Cooperative Weather Station.

To learn more about the Cooperative Observer Program, click here.

On behalf of the National Weather Service personnel in Tallahassee we would like to say THANK YOU to all of our cooperative observers!

Cooperative Weather Stations

COOP ID	Station Name	County	Year Began	Equipment	Network
01-0008	Abbeville, Al	Henry	05/01/98	F/P, S	B
01-2377	Dothan, Al	Houston	03/01/72	F/P	B
01-2675	Enterprise, Al	Coffee	10/01/77	F/P, M, S	AB
01-3251	Geneva, Al	Geneva	05/01/64	M, S,	A
01-3761	Headland, Al	Henry	04/01/50	S	AB
01-5875	Newton, Al	Dale	05/12/54	W	B
08-0211	Apalachicola, Fl	Franklin	10/01/95	M, S	AB
08-1388	Caryville, Fl	Washington	02/01/96	S, W	B
08-1544	Chipley 1W, Fl	Washington	03/25/95	M, S	AB
08-2008	Cross City 2WNW	Dixie	03/01/65	F/P, M, S	AB
08-2220	DeFuniak Springs, Fl	Walton	07/25/90	M, S	A
08-2391	Dowling Park 1W, Fl	Lafayette	06/01/72	F/P, S	B
08-3538	Graceville 1SW, Fl	Jackson	07/21/87	F/P	B
08-6842	Madison, Fl	Madison	11/01/94	M, S	A
08-5377	Marianna, 7NE, Fl	Jackson	07/01/74	M, S	C
08-5539	Mayo, Fl	Lafayette	04/01/71	M,S	A
08-5879	Monticello 3W, Fl	Jefferson	02/01/64	F/P, M, S	AB
08-6842	Panama City 5NE, Fl	Bay	12/01/71	F/P, M, S	AB
08-7025	Perry, Fl	Taylor	01/01/57	M, S	A
08-7429	Quincy 3SSW, Fl	Gadsden	04/01/64	M, S	AB
08-8565	Steinhatchee 6ENE, Fl	Dixie	04/01/62	M, S	A
08-9415	Wausau, Fl	Washington	04/23/72	F/P	B
08-9566	Wewahitchka, Fl	Gulf	07/01/77	M, S	A
08-9795	Woodruff Dam, Fl	Gadsden	06/10/52	F/P	B
09-0140	Albany 3SE, Ga	Dougherty	10/01/95	M, S	AB
09-0406	Ashburn	Turner	02/01/80	M, S	A
09-0979	Blakely, Ga	Early	12/03/99	M, S	A
09-1463	Cairo 3Se, Ga	Grady	05/01/88	M, S	B
09-1500	Camilla 3SE, Ga	Mitchell	02/01/60	M, S	AB
09-2153	Colquitt 2W, Ga	Miller	03/01/63	M, S	A
09-2450	Cuthbert, Ga	Randolf	04/01/45	M, S	A
09-3028	Edison, Ga	Calhoun	08/01/82	F/P	B
09-6087	Moultrie 2ESE, Ga	Colquitt	01/01/54	M, S	A
09-6244	Nashville 4N, Ga	Berrien	12/01/87	M, S	A
09-8666	Thomasville 3NE, Ga	Thomas	06/01/68	M, S	A
09-8703	Tifton Exp Station, Ga	Tift	01/01/57	M, S	AB
09-8974	Valdosta, Ga	Lowndes	04/24/97	F/P	B

Stations in the table above that are shaded and in italics have been in service for at least 40 years!

Equipment (C) Cotton Region Shelter, (S) Standard 8" Rain Gauge, (M) Max. Min Digital Display, (F/P) Fisher Porter Rain Gauge, (TB) Tipping Bucket, (W) Wire Weight Gauge, (U) Universal Rain Gauge

Networks
(A) The "a" network is the basic climatic network of the NWS. Data are used to describe the climate of the U.S. The network is based on a grid system (25 statute miles by 25 statute miles) with one station per grid box. At a minimum, "a" network stations must observer 24-hour precipitation totals. Many also report maximum and minimum temperatures.

(B) Cooperative stations are placed in the "b" network if their observations are used primarily to support NWS hydrologic programs, such as flood forecasting, hydrologic planning and water supply. Stations nearly always report 24-hour precipitation, and many include river stage or lake level. A few report maximum and minimum temperatures and the water equivalent of snow on the ground. A few stations record evaporation, and soil temperature.

(AB) Cooperative stations that support both the climatological and hydrological programs of the NWS are referred to as being in the "ab" network. They generally have the responsibilities of "a" and "b" network stations combined.

(C) Cooperative stations are placed in the "c" network if they support meteorological programs of the NWS, such as the issuance of warnings, forecasts and public service. These stations maintain the same type of observations and equipment that the other networks do.

Equipment Photo Gallery