A network of amateur rain and weather spotters are contributing to the scientific understanding of niche weather patterns on a local and regional level.
The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow network — known as CoCoRaHS — is looking for volunteers to join its ranks. It’s as simple as taking an online training, buying a $30 rain gauge and then submitting your reports.
“The process takes only five minutes a day, but the impact to the community is tenfold,” said David Glenn, National Weather Service meteorologist and CoCoRaHS coordinator for North Carolina. “By providing high-quality, accurate measurements, the observers are able to supplement existing networks and provide useful results to scientists, resource managers, decision-makers and other users.”
CoCoRaHS began in 1998 after a devastating flash flood hit Fort Collins, Colorado, in 1997. The flood caught many by surprise and spurred an interest in doing a better job of mapping and reporting intense storms.
The more volunteers participate, the more concrete patterns emerge. In recent years, drought observations have become an especially important function of CoCoRaHS; its observations are included in the National Integrated Drought Information System. North Carolina joined the network, which now encompasses all 50 states, in 2007.
“North Carolina has one of the most complex climates in the U.S.,” said Dr. Ryan Boyles, state climatologist and director of the State Climate Office, based at North Carolina State University. “Data gathered from CoCoRaHS volunteers are very important in better understanding local weather and climate patterns.”
To join the network, visit www.cocorahs.org and click the “Join CoCoRaHS” emblem on the upper right side.