I learned about Community Collaborative Rain, Snow, and Hail Network (CoCoRaHS) in 2020. At the time, I didn’t have the cash I needed to invest in the proper gear, or the place to set up a station. Flash forward 4 years, I’m now measuring precipitation every morning in my backyard.
The process is a simple daily ritual: check a standard rain gauge every morning and upload the data to the site. The best time to check is between 6:30am and 9:00am. You can use the CoCoRaHS website or their mobile app. The process is quick- on average, it takes me about 3 minutes every morning.
I started my gauging station on August 13, 2024. I’ve reported a measurement for 124 days this year- so far! My grandfather helped me install my gauge on an old post in my backyard. CoCoRaHS HQ provides lots of training resources for selecting a spot and setting up. You can buy cool signs for your station, to let people know what you’re doing!
Since commencing operations, I’ve measured 10.94″ of precipitation. According to the CoCoRaHS Data Explorer, this is Below Normal for the year. I definitely agree- we have had less rain this fall and early winter than in previous years. By gauging precipitation in my yard, I’m tracking climate change in real time.
Rain gauging has made me more aware of the weather, and how it’s influencing my environment. I started to be able to correlate days without rain and my browning grass… and how we received most of our rain in heavy storms. I could track the days between a hurricane making landfall in the south and when we would receive its rains. I can do the same for lake effect snowstorms- it takes 3 days for the snow to travel south from Erie!
Right now, I’m only tracking precipitation collected in my gauge. I have yet to need to calculate SWE (Snow Water Equivalence) or measure ice accretion. I don’t yet have a snow board, which I’m going to make during my winter break. Plus, participants can make weekly conditions reports, of which I have yet to try.
I’m also branching out from the CoCoRaHS website and sharing on Instagram. I started a highlight for all my daily gauging pictures on my Story. Recently I posted a Reel on how to take a precipitation measurement from ice. As Centre County Coordinator, it’s important to me to get the word out and share how simple the “daily ritual” is… less steps than my morning skincare!
Looking back on the year, I can say I’ve had a positive experience. Even though I’m staring down climate change in the face, I’m hopeful. Thousands of Americans, all over the country, are taking notice of the weather. Our data is helping scientists form new models and predictions… which can help everyone make better choices in response to weather.
If you’re interested in CoCoRaHS, feel free to send me an email! I’m happy to help connect you to the resources to get started. Anyone can gauge, anywhere in the world and take part!
autumn's country diary 