We need your help: Consider becoming a weather observer

Occasionally I get a message from a viewer wondering why we didn’t show a rainfall total for their town. My answer is always… “because you haven’t told me yet!”

While Doppler radar does a magnificent job of estimating rainfall amounts, an actual measurement with a rain gauge is so much better… And we need your help getting those measurements.

One of the best sources we have for getting accurate rain and snow measurements is CoCoRaHS. CoCoRaHS stands for Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network and is a network of volunteers that submit rain and snow totals on a daily basis. CoCoRaHS precipitation reports are used by meteorologists, researchers, media and many others around the world.

Here’s a map of CoCoRaHS rainfall reports from the morning of July 8, 2022. There are a lot of reports across our region, but there are also quite a few blank spots on that map. We need to fill those blank spots with more dots. If you are interested in weather, check out the CoCoRaHS website https://www.cocorahs.org and consider becoming an observer.

CoCoRaHS rain reports from July 8, 2022. We need volunteers to fill the blank spots with more... — CoCoRaHS rain reports from July 8, 2022. We need volunteers to fill the blank spots with more dots.(CoCoRaHS)

Becoming a volunteer observer is easy. The only catch is that you do need an approved rain gauge that costs approximately $35. They will provide online training that teaches you how to take accurate rain and snow measurements. Click the “Join CoCoRaHS” link on their website for more information and to fill out your volunteer observer application.

Weather observing is a fun, educational family or classroom activity. You’re preserving history by contributing to our national meteorological observation database, and you might even see your report on the news.