National Weather Service in Jackson Honors Doris Lowe of Baxter with Prestigious John Campanius Holm Award

Recognizing outstanding service to America, NOAA’s National Weather Service has named rural Baxter, KY resident Doris Lowe a 2009 recipient of the John Campanius Holm Award for outstanding service in the Cooperative Weather Observer Program. The award is the agency’s second most prestigious and only 25 are presented this year to cooperative weather observers from around the country.

The award was presented to Ms. Lowe during a ceremony at the Court House in Harlan, KY on October 15th, 2009.

Doris Lowe presented with the John Campanius Holm Award - October 15th, 2009

Lowe began her volunteer duties Oct. 1, 1987, continuing a family tradition that dates back to 1940. Lowe’s father Homer Nolan was the official observer at the site for 47 years before turning it over to Lowe Oct. 1, 1987. Reporting daily temperature, precipitation, snowfall, snow depth and river levels Lowe and Nolan provided critical river and weather data for the Cumberland River at the confluence of the Poor, Martin and Clover Forks between Pine Mountain and the Cumberland Mountain Plateau. Lowe has provided nearly 8,000 daily observations and combined with her father for more than 24,400 reports. The second generation Holm recipient credited Nolan as her observing inspiration. Nolan also earned the Thomas Jefferson Award, NOAA’s highest recognition for cooperative observers.

NWS Jackson Cooperative Observer Program Information