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National Weather Service Recognizes Two Garfield County Residents

Sharon Dale Marsh of Escalante and Debi Stout of Boulder receive high honors for decades of volunteer weather recording


NWS_Sharon_Monitoring-Station
Sharon Dale Marsh is one of the last people in the state of Utah to collect weather observations with the original equipment. Known as a Cotton Region Shelter, or CRM, the white box contains two mercury thermometers to record high and low temperatures. There are also rulers which aid in measuring snowfall or rain amounts, which are collected in a nearby tube and funnel. The thermometers must be reset after each use by spinning or upending them. Many observers have transitioned to using digital thermometers which can be read from inside, but precipitation amounts must still be read manually outdoors. Ian Marynowski

ESCALANTE / BOULDER – It’s 5 p.m. After a quick glimpse outside, Escalante local Sharon Dale Marsh slides into his boots, dons a warm jacket and a large, white hat; it’s time to check the weather. He starts down a well trodden path across his yard, one that he has walked at 5 pm most days for the past 42 years. This path takes him past his two cats, who begrudgingly share the Marsh estate, and towards his small flock of weed-eating, black bellied sheep. It’s here where the National Weather Service (NWS) Cooperative Observer Program’s Escalante Weather Station stands.

This is one of two such local stations. The other is located in Boulder, where it has been faithfully operated by Debi Stout since 1993. Both observers were officially recognized by the National Weather Service during an awards ceremony which took place at the Escalante City Hall conference room on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 14. It was in the low 50’s and overcast.

In addition to more than 29 residents who showed up—including much of the Marsh family and friends of both observers—were staff from the NWS Salt Lake City to provide the honors. They included Darren Van Cleave, Meteorologist in Charge; Jeff Zimmerman, NWS Deputy Region Director; and Lisa Verzella, NWS Salt Lake Observations Program Leader.

After Van Cleave provided some background on the “Co-op” program, he introduced Debi Stout and presented her with the John Campanius Holm Award to commemorate her 30th year of collecting “outstanding daily weather observations.” Stout took up the mantle only weeks after her friend and weather observer Doyle Moosman passed away. When Debi received a new station, the community of Boulder relocated Moosman’s shelter to a site near the post office as a memorial.

There are many reasons why Stout has faithfully collected data beyond wanting to continue the tradition held by Moosman. She enjoys being able to see how much water the area receives first hand, as this has become a pressing issue over the last couple of decades. She has also observed many extreme weather events, including a new record high temperature for Boulder of 97 degrees fahrenheit set on 16 June, 2021. She also recognizes that the NWS simply needs “years and years of data” to continue their work.

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Darren Van Cleave and Lisa Verzella present Debi Stout with the John Campanius Holm Award to commemorate her 30 years of dedicated observations for the National Weather Service Cooperative Observer Program. Holm was a 17th century friar who took some of the first long-term, systematic weather observations. Both Stout and Sharon Dale Marsh also received embroidered 3-season jackets along with their awards. Ian Marynowski
NWS_Sharon_Award
Sharon Dale Marsh receives a belated award for 40 years of continued service from NWS Salt Lake Observation Program Leader Lisa Verzella. This was in addition to receiving the Thomas Jefferson Award which is the highest accolade offered by the National Weather Service to its Cooperative Programs volunteers. Only five such observers, out of thousands nationwide, receive the award each year and must have already received the John Campanius Holm Award. Sharon Dale, and his father Dale Marsh, have collected daily observations in Escalante since 1968. Ian Marynowski

The stage was then handed over to Zimmerman who recognized Sharon Dale Marsh with the Thomas Jefferson Award for his more than four decades of volunteer service. This is the highest honor available to “Co-op” observers and is only awarded to five of the thousands of nationwide volunteers each year.

Zimmerman’s speech included statements from Escalante Mayor Melani Torgerson and Garfield County Commissioner Jerry Taylor attesting to Marsh’s dedication and integrity with Torgerson stating that “it is not surprising to me that Marsh would provide such wonderful service to the National Weather Service.” Marsh, a farmer, rancher and elementary school teacher, had first met a 10-year-old Taylor in one of his 5th grade classes.

Marsh had previously received a 50-year Family Heritage Award in 2018 as he was preceded by his father, Dale Marsh, who was the Escalante observer from 1968 to 1981. Sharon Dale is the eighth person to volunteer at the post, which was established in May of 1901. He still uses the original Cotton Region Shelter which houses two manual, mercury thermometers, instead of the more modern digital systems used by many observers, including Stout.

“I just have to thank Sharon Dale and Debi. The work you do is critically important to the nation’s climate and weather programs,” said Zimmerman. Van Cleave also explained that “Co-op weather data is used in so many ways. It is the backbone of our nation’s understanding of our climate and it is so important to have a long period of recordings.”

Before the ceremony wrapped up, Lisa Verzella pulled Marsh to the front one more time, adding that they also had a commemorative coaster and pin, in addition to the jackets he and Stout had received earlier. Marsh graciously accepted and while he was returning to his seat heard, “oh, and we have one more prize for you,” from Verzella. She was talking about a can of white paint to refresh Marsh’s Cotton Region Shelter. This would keep it in good shape for years to come. Afterall, weather data only gets better with age.