Jason Bauserman- Considered for National Weather Service Award

Andrew Beavers, a Cooperative Weather Program Manager for the National Weather Service met with our own Jason Bauserman – the “Bartow Weatherman- at WVMR on March 23^rd. Beavers was here to spend the day with Jason to learn more about him.  Mr. Beavers explains the reason.

“We are going to put on Jason Bauserman for the John Campanias Holm Award which is an Award for the Cooperative Observer Program at the National Weather Service” said Andrew. “Some background real quick – John Campanias Holm was a Lutheran Minister, he is the first person to do any weather observations in the United States for any amount of time. He did it from 1644 to 1645. The Holm Award is issued to Cooperative Weather Observers all across the United States. It’s the second highest award a Cooperative Observer can win –behind the Thomas Jefferson Award. In the United States there’s about 10,000 or so Cooperative Observers and only about 25 are given out every year of this award.”

So what is a Cooperative Observer? Andrew tells us.

“A Cooperative Observer is a volunteer that works closely with the National Weather Service” Andrew said. “And what they do is they take daily observations and it can be anything from maximum and minimum temperatures, snowfall-precipitation amounts, water evaporation rates- anything like that. And what they do is they fill in the climate database all across the United States. Ordinarily the only weather you get is from airports and all these guys volunteer and help the National Weather service get a more in-depth picture of the climate across the country.”

I asked Andrew to explain the difference between Cooperative Observers and Weather Spotters.

“Spotters basically are on standby and they can either call into our office or we will call out to them if there is any severe weather or any other information we may need for weather situations” said Andrew. “The Cooperative Observers do this 7 days a week, 365 days a year they provide weather for us.”

Andrew explains how Jason became a Cooperative Observer.

“Jason was at the State Fair in Lewisburg long before I was in the Weather Service and he noticed that the Weather Service had a booth setup” said Andrew. “And sure enough we actually needed a spot there in Bartow for him. I think it was October 1991.”

I asked Andrew why Jason has been nominated for the award.

“Well, first of all his observations are always impeccable” Andrew answered. “I was doing some research in the office the other day- I went back at least 5 years with zero days missed observations, which is an absolutely wonderful record. The record keeping is in depth, the record keeping is really good. There is no mistakes. The communication with us very well, his reports are always in on time. Any problems or weather situations he has up here, he notifies us. If we ever need to call him for any weather situations, he actually is always there for us and always helps us out.”

So how does Jason feel about this?

“I really have a passion for weather” said Jason Bauserman. “And just really honored that Andrew came up today and just wanted to hang out with me and get to know me a little bit better. I just really enjoy it and maybe put in another 10 years and get Thomas Jefferson’s Award. So I am just real happy to be put in nomination for this.”

Andrew explained that the John Campanias Holm Award is the second highest award a Cooperative Observer can receive. Out of about 10,000 Observers, less than 100 are nominated and only 25 receive the award each year. To receive the Thomas Jefferson Award, the highest award, an Observer must first win the Holm award, and only 5 Jefferson awards are given out each year.

Jason has sacrificed a lot over the 10 years he has been a Cooperative Observer, as he explains.

“Over the years I probably have sacrificed” Jason said. “Sometimes the family has gone on vacation-like to the beach. I just feel a lot of times that I need to stay home, even though I do have a son who has filled in for me before when I am gone. So it has been somewhat of a sacrifice, but I really don’t mind doing it, and I really enjoy it.”

Andrew says when he returns to his office he will submit a package on Jason to his bosses in Washington and they will pick out the eventual 25 winners later this summer.