Story of a Life-long Weather Observer

By Bill Larrabee

It all began for me when I was enrolled in a course for commercial pilots at the end of World War II. Meteorology was one of the requisite subjects and it soon became my favorite. Later, while flying in the Syracuse, New York area I became friends with the U.S. Bureau Chief who asked if I would be interested in taking daily observations at my home located just off the lee of Lake Ontario. At that time, in 1960, “Lake Effect” was in the early stages of study and the Bureau needed someone to cover my area. The Chief asked me to call whenever I measured snowfall 2 feet or more. I soon found that I was to call him frequently that first winter. I was then commissioned a “full climatological station” and was to become the second highest snowfall station east of the Mississippi. Boonville, New York ranked first.

Observers were given a supply of weekly postcards, which were filled out with the daily statistics and mailed in. (This was in place of ROSA). The WB612-14, (pre B-91) was filled out each month using a fountain pen and ink and liberal use of the blotter! Our regional office with the State Climatologist was located at Cornell University, where it continues today. Toll calls were expensive and we didn’t have “800” #s then so calling was kept at a minimum. We used “penny postcards” that actually cost 2 cents for most of our communicating. Things moved a lot slower in those pre-computer days, the days before ballpoint pens.

When asked what storm stands out in my mind it has to be the “Blizzard of ‘66”. This raged for 5 days and when it was over we tallied 89.5 inches of new snow on February 1, 1966. The monthly total was to finish at an all-time record 97.0 inches. Although wind-chills were not yet being used I estimate we sustained a minus 53 degrees throughout the blizzard! I also recall that snow sleds were just making their way onto the winter scene, however, there were none evident after that storm. It was a week before a rotary plow opened our road! Coincidentally, this storm was not entirely the result of lake effect. The entire central New York area was affected. The system stalled and without steering currents it parked for the 5-day duration.

Currently, Bill resides in Sebec Lake where he is still working as one of the National Weather Service’s CO-OP Observers. In October of 2000, the NWS presented Bill and Mary Jane the John Campanius Holm award in acknowledgment of the observer excellence exhibited at this station.