What's the Weather in Your Backyard?

When you hear the rainfall amount from the official gage, have you ever said,
"That's not what I got!"

Well now you can let us know how much rain, hail, or snow you measured in your backyard by joining the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network - CoCoRaHS. CoCoRaHS will launch in Oregon on December 1^st, 2007. This new program will help meteorologists, researchers, the media, and others see and study the variability of precipitation across Oregon. Last, but not least, the precipitation data from the CoCoRaHs network is available anyone with access to the internet!

What is CoCoRaHS?
It is a unique, non-profit, community-based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail and snow). By using low-cost measurement tools, stressing training and education, and utilizing an interactive web site (www.cocorahs.org), our aim is to provide the highest quality data for natural resource, education and research applications.

Why is CoCoRaHS important?
Precipitation is essential for life. As most Oregonians know, it can vary greatly with location, topography, storm type and season. It really is true that it can pour on one side of the street and be dry on the other. The same can be said of snow and hail, and the amount of precipitation that falls, of any type, can vary greatly over short distances,especially in mountainous terrain. Meteorologists, engineers, hydrologists, insurance experts, and many others, are very interested in precipitation data, and you can help by reporting through CoCoRaHs.

Local Volunteer Coordinators and Observers are Needed Now
To help this network grow across Oregon we will need both coordinators, and observers, across the state. The primary duties of a volunteer coordinator will be to help answer new observer questions, help recruit new observers, and help with training - although it should be noted that training slides and information are available at the CoCoRaHS Web site.
Other Volunteer Coordinator duties along with answers to most questions can be found searching through the tabs on the CoCoRaHS main web page.

How can I join?
Visit the CoCoRaHS web site at: http://www.cocorahs.org to learn more about the program. You may sign up through the CoCoRaHs website if you would like to be an observer. If you're interested in being a Volunteer Coordinator for your local area, or county, or if you would like to be an assistant coordinator then contact our office by sending an email, via the webmaster email address.

Thank you for your interest in CoCoRaHS - Because Every Drop Counts!