One Man's Climate Record: Billy Barr logs 52 years of snow by hand in Colorado

Billy Barr recorded daily snowfall, temperature, and weather observations by hand for 52 consecutive winters at his off-grid cabin in Colorado's Gunnison National Forest.

His handwritten record, begun in 1974, is now one of the most detailed and continuous climate datasets in the American West.

Researchers use Barr's data to calibrate satellite-based snow measurements and understand groundwater flows feeding the Colorado River Basin, which serves more than 40 million people.

The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory hosts Barr's data publicly and provides a live webcam from the same site.