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Have you ever wondered how much rain fell during a thunderstorm? How about snowfall? If so, an important volunteer weather observing program needs your help.
The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow network, or CoCoRaHS, is looking for volunteers in North Carolina. The effort is part of a national network of home-based and amateur weather spotters with a goal of providing a high density precipitation network.
CoCoRaHS was born in 1998 with the intent of doing a better job of mapping and reporting intense storms. As more volunteers participated, rain, hail, and snow maps were produced for every storm showing local patterns that were of interest to scientists and the public. Recently, drought reporting has become an observation within the CoCoRaHS.
North Carolina became the 21st state to join CoCoRaHS in 2007, and by 2010, the network had reached all 50 states with nearly 10,000 daily observations. Through CoCoRaHS, thousands of volunteers, young and old, document the size, intensity, duration and patterns of rain, hail, and snow by taking simple measurements in their own backyards.
Volunteers may obtain an official rain gauge at www.cocorahs.org for about $40 plus shipping. Volunteers are asked to review training modules online and submit reports a website or app. The process takes five minutes a day.
Visit the CoCoRaHS website and click on the “Join CoCoRaHS” emblem on the upper right. After registering, take the online training, order a 4 inch rain gauge and start reporting.