Forester Russell Russ:
A Daily Dose of Weather
GMF has its own version of the inscription high atop the New York City Post Office at 8th Avenue. Ours goes like this: Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays Russell Russ from the swift and accurate recording of the weather.
Since 2003, every morning at 8 a.m. Russ records the low and high temperatures and precipitation for the preceding 24 hours as an independent weather observer for the National Weather Service.
While these measurements are precise and regular, the data is not official until it is received and approved by the National Weather Service office in Albany, N.Y.
This observation practice technically doesn't belong to GMF operations but over the years the Forest has subsidized the volunteer hours necessary for it. For Russ, “Weather observation is critically tied to forestry and tree growth. It enhances research studies of insects, disease, and maple syrup production.”
Importantly, Russ explains, “The forest area hasn't changed much in the past 100 years, reducing the effect that a changing landscape has on temperature. Our conditions have remained constant, and that makes GMF attractive to researchers and others who use our weather data."
There are about 165 volunteer National Weather Service observation stations in Connecticut and 12,000 in the U.S. According to Russ, what makes the weather station at GMF unique is "its accuracy, consistency and longevity. We have recorded daily observations every day for nearly the last 90 years.” In addition, Russ describes that GMF’s higher altitude distinguishes it from most of Connecticut.
The Forest’s weather code name is “Norfolk 2SW”, which signifies that it's two miles southwest as the crow flies of the post office. (A town's post office is the anchor for the naming of cooperative weather stations across the country.)
GMF’s weather station is an archival station, so the information doesn’t usually make it to the nightly news. However, Russ shares his weather observations through the GMF website, a regular column in Norfolk Now and social media, attracting the attention of passionate weather amateurs and professionals.
One use of the weather data is long-term climatological studies for infrastructure projects such as roads, buildings, bridges, and dams, where temperature and precipitation play a role in their design. Another is scientific research, a staple of Great Mountain Forest's mission.
Russ continues a 90-year tradition of weather observation begun by GMF founder Ted Childs and carried on by his father, former Forest Manager Darrell Russ.
Russ ponders why he’s a National Weather Service observer and has been recording data every day for the past 17+ years, "I’m interested in the weather. It’s also an important part of GMF for research and education--and it respects the dedication of past observers.”
