Be a Backyard CoCoRaHS Volunteer Weather Observer

CoCoRaHS volunteer taking snow measurements.
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(Credit: Henry Reges, Colorado State University)

Precipitation is one of the most important climate elements for daily life. Yet, precipitation varies tremendously from place to place and from month to month and year to year. These variations have widespread impacts.

A unique, non-profit, community-based network of backyard weather observers of all ages and backgrounds, is the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, or CoCoRaHS.

Using very simple and low cost instruments, CoCoRaHS volunteers help scientists study storms and precipitation patterns and provide valuable data for NOAA applications while learning directly about climate processes, impacts and research.

CoCoRaHS is led by Nolan Doesken, state climatologist for Colorado who has worked at Colorado State University since 1977 and Henry Reges, the National CoCoRaHS Coordinator, formerly with the American Meteorological Society.  Nolan initiated the CoCoRaHS project after an extremely localized storm in 1997 dropped over 14 inches of rain near his home but the rain was not well detected by existing observing systems.   NOAA has been a major sponsor and supporter of CoCoRaHS: the organization was the recipient of the NOAA Office of Education Environmental Literacy Grant in 2006; Nolan Doeskan was the recipient of a NOAA Environmental Hero award in 2006; and  the organization has worked closely with Weather Forecast Offices around the country. Today, many NOAA employees are CoCoRaHS volunteers.

Each time a rain, hail or snow storm event occurs, volunteers take measurements of precipitation from as many locations as possible.  These precipitation reports are then recorded on their web site http://www.cocorahs.org. The data are then displayed and organized for the many end users to analyze and apply to daily situations ranging from water resource analysis and severe storm warnings to neighbors comparing how much rain fell in their backyards.

CoCoRaHS data is used by a wide variety of organizations and individuals including: the National Weather Service, other government agencies, meteorologists, hydrologists, emergency managers, city utilities, insurance adjusters, engineers, farmers, outdoor and recreation interests, teachers, and students.

CoCoRaHS continue to seek additional volunteers. The only requirements to join are an enthusiasm for watching and reporting weather conditions and a desire to learn more about how weather can affect and impact our lives.  Their goal is to have 20,000 volunteers by the year 2010.  To find our more about being a volunteer and to learn more about CoCoRaHS, visit their web site at:  http://www.cocorahs.org

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