Washington CoCoRaHS
News
The CoCoRaHS program in Washington officially began June 1st! We are currently seeking both volunteer observers and coordinators. If you are interested, please explore the information on this page and the rest of the CoCoRaHS site and sign-up.
About CoCoRaHS
The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network or CoCoRaHS is a non-profit community-based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and report precipitation rain, hail, and snow. As most Washington residents know, precipitation can vary greatly with location, topography, storm type and season. CoCoRaHS was developed to supplement existing observation networks, aiding meteorologists, engineers, hydrologists, insurance experts, the media, and many others, in studying the variability of precipitation and in the analysis of extreme precipitation events much like the December 2007 flood event in western Washington.
How it Works
Get a Rain Gauge
CoCoRaHS observers take measurements of precipitation using a 4" CoCoRaHS rain gauge available for less than $30 from Ambient Weather or from WeatherYourWay. Volunteers in certain underserved parts of the state may qualify for a free rain gauge. Please contact wash.cocorahs@gmail.com, 206-543-3145 to find out if you qualify.
Training
Before an observer begins making observations, they need to be trained on properly setting up their rain gauge and learn the fundamentals of measuring precipitation. The training slide show is available online via the CoCoRaHS website and in-person training sessions will be scheduled from time-to-time and posted below, under Upcoming Events. We prefer observers attend in-person training, but realize not everyone will be able to. If you are interested in attending an in-person training session in your area, please contact the state coordinator.
Report Precipitation
Once trained, observers record their precipitation totals preferably at 7:00 a.m. and submit their observations via the Internet, where their data is then displayed on maps that are available to anyone 24/7.
How to Join
If you have desire and commitment to help study and learn about precipitation, it's easy to sign-up to become apart of CoCoRaHS. We are currently seeking observers and volunteer coordinators across the state.
Observers
Observers will do just that ...observe and report the amount and type of precipitation that falls at their location. It doesn't matter if your neighbor is already an observer, we still want you to join! You can apply online or if you prefer, you can print and mail an application. Once you sign up, you will receive a login and password along with additional Washington CoCoRaHS information within 24-48hrs.
County Coordinators
Volunteer coordinators will hold a slightly different position in CoCoRaHS. In addition to reporting, volunteer coordinators will assist in answering questions from new observers, helping recruit new observers, check for precipitation reporting errors, and help with training additional information. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer coordinator for your local area, or county, then contact your regional or state CoCoRaHS coordinators and let them know!
Upcoming Events
If you have any questions regarding training sessions, please contact your regional coordinator. Register for an upcoming training session.
Washington CoCoRaHS Sponsors
