July 19, 2007 at 7:04 a.m.
Recording weather data from their backyard station is just part of the day
Recording weather data from their backyard station is just part of the day
The Hjorts send their data to the National Weather Service every morning via computer so it can be shared with those who need to know how much rain or snow fell during the past 24 hours, including winter frost depths during the past 24 hours, and what the high and low temperature was in the local area.
The data is also archived at the Minnesota State Climatology Office at the University of Minnesota and at the National Climactic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina.
Their precipitation and temperature reports are used by local government agencies and city planners to determine how large to make the culverts to accommodate spring snow melt and heavy rain from storms. Local farmers and agricultural organizations use their data to determine planting times, average frost and freeze dates, drought conditions, seed types and whether to irrigate their crops. Insurance companies and lawyers use their data to help settle weather-related claims.
The National Weather Service uses the Hjorts data to create the climate for the local area which is used to determine what weather to expect year-round, and to see how the weather has been changing over the years. Data is also used to determine the possibility of flooding during the next 24 hours, and also helps to predict the height of local rivers.
Many people are surprised to know that Richard and Marlys Hjort are volunteers. They have taken official daily weather observations in their backyard every single morning for 21 years. Last summer they received an award from the National Weather Service honoring them for 20 years of volunteer service to the federal government and their local community.
Michelle Margraf, observing program leader, said "Richard and Marlys operate one of the premier small town weather stations."
Richard and Marlys became the official government observers for the Forest Lake area when long time observer, Floyd Cohoes, retired in November of 1986. At that time they had already known Cohoes for 35 years. Cohoes was the principal of the local high school and they had both been students. When they heard Cohoes was retiring they enthusiastically offered to take over his duties observing weather.
Before becoming the official government weather observers, Richard and Marlys had been taking weather observations in their backyard for years. They started observing when their son brought home an FFA project, and that project led to a lifetime interest in the weather. They have also been a part of the Minnesota State Climatology Office's "backyard observing network" since 1970.
The record high in Forest Lake of 104 degrees was recorded by Richard and Marlys July 5, 1988. They have also recorded temperatures as cold as minus 37 degrees in their backyard (February 2, 1996), just shy of the record low of minus 38 degrees recorded by Cohoes January 9, 1977.
The next time you need to know how much rain or snow fell, or what the temperature was like in this area, you can view their data on the National Weather Service's website at http://www.weather.gov/cli mate/xmacis.php?wfo=mpx.
In this day of automation, many people don't realize that weather observations are still taken by hand. Thank Richard and Marlys Hjort for braving the elements to record the weather each morning.
Also, thank them for contributing the "Field Notes" this paper has featured in our index for many many years.
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