What's the Weather in Your Backyard?

When you hear the rainfall amount from the official gage, have you ever said,
"That's not what I got!"

Well now you can let us know how much rain, hail, or snow you measured in your backyard by joining the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network - CoCoRaHS.

CoCoRaHS in the Pacific Northwest:
On June 1^st, The Evergreen State became the 32nd state to join the CoCoRaHS community.

What exactly is CoCoRaHS?
It is a unique, non-profit, community-based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds, working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail and snow).  By using low-cost measurement tools, stressing training and education, and utilizing an interactive web site (www.cocorahs.org), our aim is to provide the highest quality data for natural resource, education and research applications.

Why is CoCoRaHS important?
As most Washington residents know, precipitation can vary greatly with location, topography, storm type and season.  The same can be said of snow and hail, and the amount of precipitation that falls, of any type, can vary greatly over short distances.  Meteorologists, engineers, hydrologists, insurance experts, the media, and many others, are very interested in precipitation data.  By your participation in the CoCoRaHs program, you will allow these groups of people to see and study the variability of precipitation across Washington!

Local Volunteer Coordinators and Observers are Needed Now
To help this network grow across Washington and Oregon, we need both observers, and coordinators, across the state.  Observers will do just that...observe and report the amount and type of precipitation that falls at their location.

Volunteer coordinators will hold a slightly different position in CoCoRaHS.  In addition to reporting, volunteer coordinators might also be responsible for answering questions from new observers, helping recruit new observers, and help with training.  Other Volunteer Coordinator duties along with answers to most questions can be found searching through the tabs on the CoCoRaHS main web page, or through the FAQ/Help pages.

How can I join?
First of all, visit the CoCoRaHS webpage and learn about the program. If you like it and would like to become an observer, you can sign up online.

If you're interested in being a Volunteer Coordinator for your local area, or county, then contact your regional or state CoCoRaHS coordinators and let them know!  A  list for Washington, found here.

Thank you for your interest in CoCoRaHS - Because Every Drop Counts!