Overturf honored by the National Weather Service

November 21, 2016

Lincoln, Neb. — Michael Overturf, an agricultural research technician at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, recently received the Thomas Jefferson Award from the National Weather Service. The award is the highest and most prestigious award for Cooperative Weather Observers. 

Overturf began taking weather observations in 1978, and since that time has taken 13,595 observations with no missing observations during that period. He has measured a total of 1,024.43 inches of precipitation. The average annual precipitation for Overturf’s location in Clay Center is 25.22 inches. The award honors Overturf’s 38 years of accuracy, promptness, legibility, cooperation, consistency and care of equipment. 

The award is named after the nation’s third President, Thomas Jefferson, who kept an almost unbroken weather record from 1776 until 1816. He envisioned a network of weather observers and recruited volunteers from other states.  Today, there are over 10,000 cooperative observers, including almost 200 in Nebraska. The National Weather Service depends on the reports from cooperative observers for forecasts, warnings, verification and research. 

Overturf has been employed by USMARC for nearly 47 years. He was the recipient of IANR’s Outstanding Employee Award in October of 1986 and the University of Nebraska Board of Regents Kudos Award in June of 1987.