Mancos residents Fred Harden and Margie Connolly have had their eyes on the skies for 20 years for the National Weather Service.
Harden and Connolly recently were recognized by the weather service for their length of service. The duo collect temperature and precipitation data in Mancos and report back to the weather service office in Grand Junction.
“It’s nice to find volunteer opportunities, and this one’s been fun,” Harden said.
Harden and Connolly record the daily high and low temperatures, as well as precipitation levels. They send the weather service a monthly report. The data is used for long-term weather service studies on climate, Harden said.
If a storm is happening in Mancos, forecasters in Grand Junction sometimes call Harden and Connolly for updates on what’s going on, Harden said. Other stations around the area, including those at Mesa Verde and Bluff, Utah, help monitor the weather, he said.
The duo had a neighbor who monitored the weather station before them, but that neighbor moved away 20 years ago and Harden and Connolly took over, Harden said.
Over 20 years, Harden said that he hasn’t observed major climate changes in 20 years. Most years, people seem to think it’s been an exceptionally dry or wet year, he said. But when you look at the data, it reveals that most years are only slightly above or below average, he said.
The data Harden and Connolly collect doesn’t reveal much from day to day, but it’s useful in the long run, Harden said.
“We like doing the work,” he said. “We have to do it and make sure it gets done every day.”