CSU Buildings and Grounds History

From CSU's Sense of Place:  A Campus History of Colorado's Land-Grant University, by James E. Hansen, Gordon A. Hazard, and Linda M. Meyer.  Fort Collins, CO:  Colorado State University, 2018.

Architects – Physical Plant Department staff and Professor Maxwell Parshall

601 West Plum Street

Designed by staff at the Physical Plant Department and Professor Maxwell Parshall, the weather station was opened in May 1961 south of Allison Hall and replaced the one used for the previous 50 years. It was the third move for the station, which had been recording the weather at CSU for eight decades.  Parshall supervised the weather information gathering at CSU from 1937 until his retirement in early 1961. 

Basic meteorological data relating to Fort Collins is compiled at this facility which contains an observing tower supporting an assortment of weather monitoring equipment. Weather observations consist of automated measurements of temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, pressure, solar radiation, and soil temperatures updated every 10 minutes. Daily climate records have been kept since January 1, 1889, making this one of Colorado’s oldest weather stations and a valuable scientific resource. The Weather Station is operated by the Department of Atmospheric Science.

Around 2003, with the impending construction of the Transit Center, discussions were held about moving the weather station to another place on the campus.  So critical was its location to maintain accurate and consistent weather records, the move was abandoned.  Additional landscaping was done to enhance the appearance of the building and its grounds.