Home-based and amateur weather spotters in North Carolina are encouraged to join a countrywide network that documents the size, intensity, duration and patterns of rain, hail and snow.
Called the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow network, or CoCoRaHS, volunteers are asked to take measurements in their own backyards.
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“We are in need of new observers across the entire state. We would like to emphasize rural and coastal locations, and areas of higher terrain across the mountains,” state co-coordinator David Glenn explained in a release. Glenn is a meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Newport office.
Visit the website and click on the “Join CoCoRaHS” emblem on the upper right side of the website to join the project. After registering, volunteers can purchase the required 4-inch plastic rain gauge through the network’s website at about $40 plus shipping. Volunteers will need to submit their reports through the network’s website or app.
“An additional benefit of the program for the National Weather Service is the ability to receive timely reports of significant weather such as hail, intense rainfall, or localized flooding from CoCoRaHS observers that can assist meteorologists in issuing and verifying warnings for severe thunderstorms,” Glenn added.
Recently, drought reporting has become an important observation within the program and are now being included in the National Integrated Drought Information System.
“CoCoRaHS observers provided valuable data for both Hurricane Florence and Dorian,” said Sean Heuser, a state co-coordinator and manager of the North Carolina Environment and Climate Observing Network, or NC ECOnet, at the State Climate Office of North Carolina.
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“For these high intensity events, whether they are tropical systems or afternoon thunderstorms, CoCoRaHS observers are able to fill in gaps and provide a clearer picture of where we see precipitation maximums. We also use CoCoRaHS Condition Monitoring reports to determine weekly drought conditions across the state and give recommendations to the U.S. Drought Monitor authors,” Heuser said in a statement.
The grassroots program formed after a severe thunderstorm hit Fort Collins, Colorado, in July 1997, causing $200 million in flood-related damage. North Carolina was the 21st state to join in 2007. By 2010, the network had reached all 50 states with nearly 10,000 daily observations.
“Monitoring weather and climate conditions in North Carolina is no easy feat,” state co-coordinator Heather Aldridge said in the release. “CoCoRaHS volunteers help by painting a better picture of precipitation patterns across North Carolina, filling in data gaps where there are no nearby stations. Reporting rain, hail, snow, and drought conditions is a fun activity for all ages.”
