Want to report your rainfall amount?
Nov 7, 2014, 4:59 PM | Updated: 5:08 pm
National Weather Service meteorologist Ted Buehner wants you to join the Community Collaborative Rain Hail and Snow Network. (AP photo)
(AP photo)
November is usually the wettest month of the year in Western Washington, but do you know how much rain fell in your backyard?
Join the Community Collaborative Rain Hail and Snow Network better known as CoCoRaHS. Started in 1998 in Colorado after a devastating flood, the program has spread across the nation, as well as into Canada. CoCoRaHS participants involve thousands of people with rain gauges in their backyard reporting how much rain, snow or hail they received each day.
Washington joined CoCoRaHS in 2008 with a goal of at least one rain gauge per square mile across the state. Over 1,000 people in Washington are registered in the CoCoRaHS program today with a goal of 5,000 statewide.
Who uses these reports? Many in the weather community use them including TV weather anchors, the National Weather Service, the state climatologists office, transportation authorities, researchers, local emergency managers, power utilities, and people like you.
The weather in Washington is terrain driven and it really shows up with all these CoCoRaHS reports, particularly when the rain turns to snow. Compare how much rain or snow you got with other relatives and friends, all online.
Joining CoCoRaHS is easy to do. Visit www.cocorahs.org to learn more about the program, register, take easy training like where to put your rain gauge and report your rain, how to measure snow, and how to get a nice rain gauge for less than $30. Perhaps this program and the rain gauge could be a good holiday gift idea for someone special.
The website will permit you to view your reports with all the others, here and across Western Washington, the state and the nation. Join the CoCoRaHS team!
