The National Weather Service is seeking citizen science volunteers to collect daily rainfall reports each morning. Volunteers buy and install a standard rain gauge for about $30, take a morning measurement, and submit their observations to a data-base via the web or cell phone app.
CoCoRaHS is the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network. It is a non-profit, community-based, high density network of volunteers who take daily measurements of rain, hail and snow in their backyards. CoCoRaHS has been in existence since 1998 and it became a nationwide volunteer network in 2010. The data-base provides high quality, accurate measurements to scientists, resource managers, decision makers and other users. For example, the data are used to refine river and weather forecasts that are shared with the media.
To learn more about CoCoRaHS or to become a member of the grassroots volunteer network of backyard weather observers visit their website at www.cocorahs.org.
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