Volunteers Need to Help Monitor Weather

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2009

July and August cool wet weather and a warm early part of September are good reminders of the variety of weather in Illinois at any time of the year. Everyone can remember storms that produced markedly varied storm severity, rainfall or snowfall patterns within short distances. "What one person gets might be quite different than what the neighbor a mile down the road gets," says John Church University of Illinois Extension Natural Resources Educator, Rockford.

In July, heavy rains fell in southern Illinois (south of I-70) and in northwest Illinois. Some 16 stations in those two areas reported rainfall totals in excess of 7 inches for the month according to the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), while northeast Illinois rainfall totals were closer to 3 inches.

To help observe such weather conditions in a more complete matrix, there is a relatively new volunteer program designed to increase the density of weather recording locations across the state. It has been established by ISWS and the National Weather Service, with cooperation from University of Illinois Extension. The "Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow" (CoCoRaHS) network is a grassroots volunteer system of backyard weather observers of all ages working together to measure and map precipitation–rain, hail and snow–in their local communities. There was an average of 331 reports per day during July. A total of 10510 reports from 443 observers were filed in July. Volunteers are needed throughout northern Illinois, especially in northwestern counties.

Persons interested in joining as a volunteer are encouraged to attend a local training session. Check the Illinois CoCoRaHS web page at www.cocorahs.org/state.aspx?state=il for sessions scheduled throughout the state, other related program information and county contact person information. State coordinators are Steve Hilberg of the Illinois State Water Survey and Tim Halbach of the National Weather Service.

The only requirements to volunteer are an enthusiasm for watching and reporting weather conditions, a desire to learn more about how the weather can affect and impact our lives and access to internet. Standardized weather monitoring equipment will also have to be purchased at a cost of about $25.00.

CoCoRaHS is a national non-profit, community-based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds, working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail and snow). By using low-cost measurement tools, stressing training and education, and utilizing an interactive web site, the aim is to provide the highest quality data for natural resource, education and research applications. It began in Colorado in 1998, and currently has over 12,000 observers in over 40 states. For more details about the national program network, visit http://www.cocorahs.org.