CoCoRaHS is coming to Idaho! View Idaho CoCoRaHS recruitment flyer
How Much Rain in Your Backyard?
When you hear rainfall amounts from official precipitation gauges, have you ever said, "That's not the amount I measured?' Now you have an opportunity to let your community and the Nation see your weather data. You can report the rain, snow, and hail measured in your own backyard by joining the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS).
CoCoRaHS started just over 10 years ago in Colorado after a devastating flash flood hit Fort Collins. Weather researchers there discovered the intense rain causing the flood had missed official gauges. According to the CoCoRaHS Website, "A localized storm dumped over a foot of rain in several hours on one side of the city while other portions of the city had only modest rainfall, including where the official gauge is located."
The goal of the network is simple-- put an end to such surprises by mapping rainfall at many more locations, rather than just a few gauges here and there. Weather officials hope this program will provide valuable data to help meteorologists and researchers learn more about the variability of precipitation across a climatologically diverse region, like eastern Washington and north Idaho.
Since the late 1990s, the CoCoRaHS network has spread to nearly 40 different states. Idaho will officially join the network on January 1, 2009.
This community based, non-profit organization is currently seeking volunteers across eastern Idaho.
Gary Wicklund, Observing Program Lead and Meteorologist at the NWS Pocatello office, will serve as regional CoCoRaHS coordinator for Southeastern Idaho. He will be in charge of recruiting and training volunteers. "The plan is to target schools, community groups, and weather enthusiasts with the goal of having at least one CoCoRaHS station in each city and town," stated Wicklund.
Wicklund said National Weather Service rain gauges are often from 25 to 50 miles apart, or further, and in distinctly different terrain. "You can miss a lot of data that way," Wicklund said. "CoCoRaHS fills in the gaps."
All you need to become a volunteer observer is a CoCoRaHS rain gauge, Internet access, and the desire to participate. Training is available online. An official rain gauge can be ordered through the CoCoRaHS web site where daily precipitation readings are entered.
For more information about CoCoRaHS and how you can volunteer, please visit http://www.cocorahs.org or contact the National Weather Service Pocatello at (208) 233-0834.
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