Southern Illinois Weather Observatory

Located in Massac County, Illinois the Weather Observatory is nestled on top of a hill overlooking surrounding farmlands. The observatory is owned by Beau Dodson who grew up on the land first purchased in 1888 by his family. His great grandfather built a home on the property in the early 1900s which eventually was torn down in the late 1990s.


Beau's great grandfathers home built in the early 1900s. The second home that was built on the homestead.	Ice storm of the 1950s. Beau's mother Judy Verbarg stands in front of the home she grew up on.	Heavy ice storm of the early 1950s. Beau's mother poses for the camera. Photo taken by his grandmother Blanche Verbarg.


The house where Beau grew up in was torn down during the fall of 2009.	This pony barn stood where the weather observatory is now located. Photo taken in the 1960s.	The Weather Observatory now stands where the pony barn was located.

Beau lived on the farm between the years of 1970 and 1988. In 1988 the farm was lost during the farm crisis that swept the country leaving many farmers bankrupt. In 2007 Beau returned to visit the property on Christmas morning only to find a realtors lock on his old home place. The family living there having moved out Beau took the opportunity to purchase the old home place back from a regional bank.


The property where the observatory has been built has a special place in Beau's heart. Having been raised there with his sisters brought many weather adventures in the 1970s and 1980s.	A windy spring day on the farm - Beau with his sisters on Easter Day 1975.	Aerial view of the homestead circa 1974. Beau's great grandfathers house is near the middle and the house Beau grew up in is in the lower right. The Weather Observatory is located behind his old house where a pony barn used to stand.


An ice and sleet storm struck the farm in 1976.	Beau visited WPSD Channel 6 in 1979 with one of the their meteorologists. Beau's interest in weather continues to this day. He recently graduated the Broadcast Meteorology program through Mississippi State University.	In the 1980s WPSD TV 6 did a story on Beau's interest in weather. Reported Sam Burrage of People Beat interview Beau on a snow day in January of 1984.

Having studied weather since he was eight years old, Beau had been looking for a place to buy or build a house that had a view of incoming weather. That dream was realized in 2009 when he rebuilt on the family homestead. Building a complete weather center with instruments and weather cameras he opened this web-site for others to view and learn more about local weather conditions and events.


Designs for the observatory where finished in December of 2008..	The beginning of the project.	Summer of 2009


The third floor is equipped with an observation deck.	The weather views are what brought Beau back to this location.	Summer of 2009 - the project continued


Cumulus clouds tower over the site during the late summer of 2009.	Thunderstorm brought heavy rainfall during the summer and fall of 2009 - slowing work on the project.	A beautiful sunset during the late summer of 2009.

The house is equipped with a complete emergency operations center with generator backup in the event of severe weather. Beau broadcasts his weather information to emergency management in Ballard and McCracken Counties of western Kentucky where he first got involved with emergency management. He tracks severe weather using Gibson Ridge radar software and other computer data made available through subscription weather sites and the National Weather Service. You can listen to and view all of this online through this web-site.


Summer of 2009	Instrument shelter - spring of 2009	Weather instruments located on the property


Rain gauge	Looking down on some of the weather instruments that can be found online through this website.	One of several towers located on the property that holds tower cams and weather instruments. Spring of 2009.


Beau placing weather instruments on top of one of the towers.	Installing weather cams on top of the 60' tower.	Jason and Jess Darnall helped install weather cameras and emergency management radio antennas.

The area where the observatory has been built is no stranger to severe weather. It was struck by a tornado in the 1950s which caused the property to lose almost every structure. Beau's great grandfathers house sheltered his mother while the tornado passed over. The house was turned and twisted on its foundation but survived the extreme winds.


A tornado struck the farm in the late1950s causing severe damage to the property.	A tornado struck the farm in the late1950s causing severe damage to the property.	A tornado struck the farm in the late1950s causing severe damage to the property.


A tornado struck the farm in the late1950s causing severe damage to the property.	A tornado struck the farm in the late1950s causing severe damage to the property.	A tornado struck the farm in the late1950s causing severe damage to the property.

Other extreme weather events included a severe ice storm in 1902 and the 1950s, flood waters backed up all the way to the bottom lands around the farm during the 1937 flood, several earthquakes during the 1970s and 1980s, the blizzards of the late 1970s, the severe wind storms of the early 1980s, and a catastrophic ice storm in 2008 and 2009. Knowing the history of the area - including a killer F4 tornado that passed within a mile of the property Beau built a tornado shelter with reinforced concrete. Hopefully never to be used. In late 2009 Beau moved into the home and observatory. This web-site was built in order to allow others to share in the weather experience. Visitors can view live weather data from atop the hill. There are also tower cams available for viewing, streaming NOAA Weather Radio, streaming emergency management information, a weather blog that discusses weather at the site, interactive weather radar, forecasts, and other data. Beau also has several other web-sites with weather photography, historic storm reviews, and breaking weather news. Other photos from the the past 100 years at the observatory site.


Beau with the tornado shelter built into the foundation of the house.	Beau's mother also grew up on the farm site. This photo was taken in the late 1940s after a snowstorm.	Beau's mother - Judy Verbarg builds a snowman.


A light dusting of snow falls on the observatory site. 1940s.	Beau's grandfather pulls his mother on a sleigh. Photo taken in the late 1950s.	One of the barns located on the farm. Photo taken in the 1940s.


Beau's mother sits beside one of her dogs. 1940s.	Watching the clouds roll by. On top of the observatory. Fall of 2009.	Summer of 2009 - under construction.


One of the many weather views from on top of the hill where the observatory is located. View to the W/NW.	View to the south from on top of the observatory.	A peaceful fall afternoon. Landscaping begins.