Mount Rose Weather Observatory
Washoe County, Washoe County, Nevada
Marker Inscription
Mount Rose Weather Observatory. Two miles to the northwest of this point lies Mt. Rose. On the 10,778 foot summit, Dr. James Edward church of the University of Nevada established one of America’s first high-altitude meteorological observatories on June 29, 1905. At the observatory, he carried out his famed snow studies and developed the modern science of snow survey. Dr. Church’s Nevada system of snow survey is used throughout the world today to predict seasonal water flow from precipitation stored as snow pack. In his honor, the north summit of Mt. Rose has been named “Church Peak.”
Erected by Division Of Historic Preservation And Archeologywashoe County Historical Societynevada Corral, Westerners International
The Story
On the 10,778-foot summit of Mt. Rose, Dr. James Edward Church of the University of Nevada established one of America's first high-altitude weather observatories on June 29, 1905. There he pioneered the science of snow survey, devising the "Nevada system" of measuring the water stored in mountain snowpack to forecast seasonal runoff. His method is used worldwide to this day, and the north summit was renamed Church Peak in his honor.
Why it matters
Church's snow-survey science turned the Western mountains into a measurable water bank, a breakthrough that underpins how the arid West manages its most precious resource.
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Related people
- · James Edward Church
Themes & tags
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