Norbert and Annemarie have been checking the precipitation data in Sillian every day for 60 years.
Since 1964, and thus for an incredible 60 years, the family of Annemarie and Nobert Niederegger in Sillian have been running a rainfall measuring station on a voluntary basis and are even celebrating a double anniversary this year: the family-owned Pension Adelheid has also been in existence for 60 years. Deputy Governor Josef Geisler recently came to congratulate them and expressed his thanks to the entire family: “Thank you for your decades of work. You are making an indispensable contribution to the survey of the water cycle and to the security of our country.”
For six decades, Nobert and Annemarie Niederegger have been going to the measuring station at exactly 7 a.m. every day, measuring the precipitation and reading the air temperature in the standardized weather hut. In winter, the total snow depth and the depth of new snow are recorded using the respective measuring rods. Norbert Niederegger’s internal clock tells him when it is time to head out into the garden to “check the weather and measure the water.”
Annemarie Niederegger often goes out to look more often than is actually necessary: ”It’s just interesting. We have the weather in our blood,” the two laugh. This is also evidenced by the countless thermometers throughout the house. This year was characterized by a very wet spring. In July and August, the early temperatures were above average, and there were three tropical days, i.e. days with air temperatures of more than 30 degrees.
The weather and the water are a great place to talk shop. From left: Angelika Niederegger, Deputy Governor Josef Geisler, Klaus Niedertscheider, Annemarie and Norbert Niederegger.
Wide interest in the water cycle
The measuring equipment in the garden of Pension Adelheid is also of great interest to guests. Hardly anyone doesn’t ask what is being done here. Annemarie and Norbert Niederegger’s granddaughter, who lives in Italy, even wrote her final school thesis on the measuring station in Sillian and received great praise for it. In the former stable and now common room of Pension Adelheid, a marker bears witness to the largest flood to date in Sillian in 1966. During the second largest flood event in 2018, nothing happened thanks to flood protection. And this has been steadily improved in recent years.
Die Sillian measuring station has existed since 1895
The existence of the precipitation measuring facility in Sillian has been documented since 1895. Over the past 130 years, it has been looked after mostly by a member of the Niederegger family. With a few interruptions during the First and Second World Wars, data on precipitation was transmitted to the hydrographic service in Innsbruck. This makes the station one of the measuring stations that has been in operation for the longest time. “A long measurement history such as in Sillian is an important data basis for long-term observations at a specific location. Valuable insights into changes can be drawn from this data,” says Klaus Niedertscheider, head of the hydrography department in the state of Tyrol.
Volunteers ensure regulated measurement operations
The data from around 170 volunteer observers in Tyrol, together with other data, form the basis for flood forecasts for the state of Tyrol. The state of Tyrol has 650 of its own measuring points. By integrating external measuring points, data from over 1,000 measuring stations is available for water cycle surveys. Many of the state measuring points are fully automated. But no matter how sophisticated the technology may be, people still play an important role, for example in checking the electronically recorded values.
“Despite the technical developments, a regulated measurement operation is only possible through the personal commitment, reliability and dedication of the observers,” emphasises Deputy Governor Josef Geiser and not only thanks Annemarie and Nobert Niederegger for their many years of valuable work, but also asks that this activity be continued in the family.
