Reporting Rain Fall
Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 3:35 pm
"The rain in Spain falls mainly in the Plains" or so I learned in speech class back in my younger years. But I have since learned that it doesn't fall evenly.
Last year (April, 2009) I saw an article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that caught my eye. The article was about a group that helps to track rain fall at spots other than official reporting places. Anytime I see a report on the amount of rain fall in Little Rock, I wonder how much I got at my house. Because of that, I've had my own electronic rain gauge a couple of times in the past and present.
The article was about the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) and its recent entry into Arkansas. According to their website, "The network originated with the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University in 1998 thanks in part to the Fort Collins flood a year prior. CoCoRaHS is a grassroots volunteer network of backyard weather observers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail and snow) in their local communities. By using low-cost measurement tools, stressing training and education, and utilizing an interactive Web-site, our aim is to provide the highest quality data for natural resource, education and research applications. The only requirements to join are an enthusiasm for watching and reporting weather conditions and a desire to learn more about how weather can effect and impact our lives."
The CoCoRaHS website is located at http://www.cocorahs.org/. Their website shows the states currently participating in the program (all 50 state now participate). If you click on Arkansas and then click on "View Larger Map" you can click on individual counties in Arkansas. If you click on Pulaski County, my "station" is shown just below the "k" in Pulaski.
As a volunteer, I check and report the rain (or lack of it) each day via their website. They prefer that readings be taken at 7:00 am but since I'm retired, I'm usually still sound asleep at that hour. I take my readings at 8:30 am. Readings taken between 6:00 am and 9:00 am are posted on their map.
If you also have an interest in rain fall (and most of us paddlers do) and a little time, consider becoming a CoCoRaHS volunteer. The only cost involved is the cost of the recommended rain gauge (about $25 plus shipping) and the few minutes you spend entering your readings on their website. Their recommended rain gauge is a high-capacity (hold over 10 inches of rain), manually emptied rain gauge which measures in 0.01 inches. Their website has a lot more information about the program if you are interested.
It would nice to be able to check each morning to see how much rain a particular area received in the previous 24 hours before deciding where to paddle.
Last year (April, 2009) I saw an article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that caught my eye. The article was about a group that helps to track rain fall at spots other than official reporting places. Anytime I see a report on the amount of rain fall in Little Rock, I wonder how much I got at my house. Because of that, I've had my own electronic rain gauge a couple of times in the past and present.
The article was about the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) and its recent entry into Arkansas. According to their website, "The network originated with the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University in 1998 thanks in part to the Fort Collins flood a year prior. CoCoRaHS is a grassroots volunteer network of backyard weather observers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail and snow) in their local communities. By using low-cost measurement tools, stressing training and education, and utilizing an interactive Web-site, our aim is to provide the highest quality data for natural resource, education and research applications. The only requirements to join are an enthusiasm for watching and reporting weather conditions and a desire to learn more about how weather can effect and impact our lives."
The CoCoRaHS website is located at http://www.cocorahs.org/. Their website shows the states currently participating in the program (all 50 state now participate). If you click on Arkansas and then click on "View Larger Map" you can click on individual counties in Arkansas. If you click on Pulaski County, my "station" is shown just below the "k" in Pulaski.
As a volunteer, I check and report the rain (or lack of it) each day via their website. They prefer that readings be taken at 7:00 am but since I'm retired, I'm usually still sound asleep at that hour. I take my readings at 8:30 am. Readings taken between 6:00 am and 9:00 am are posted on their map.
If you also have an interest in rain fall (and most of us paddlers do) and a little time, consider becoming a CoCoRaHS volunteer. The only cost involved is the cost of the recommended rain gauge (about $25 plus shipping) and the few minutes you spend entering your readings on their website. Their recommended rain gauge is a high-capacity (hold over 10 inches of rain), manually emptied rain gauge which measures in 0.01 inches. Their website has a lot more information about the program if you are interested.
It would nice to be able to check each morning to see how much rain a particular area received in the previous 24 hours before deciding where to paddle.
