Many folks cuckoo for CocoRaHS
Jon Snurka doesn't have to check his local weather report to see how much it rains each day. He just goes out to the gauge in his backyard.
The Geneva man is part of a grassroots volunteer system of backyard weather observers, who work together to provide and record accurate measurements of daily precipitation.
Called the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow network, or CoCoRaHS, the group uses each of the hundreds of measurements recorded across the state each day for research, educational, and just everyday purposes.
And network members want you to help.
The collaborative will hold a training workshop at 7 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Kane County Extension office of the University of Illinois in St. Charles.
"It's a neat way to contribute," said Snurka, who also acts as volunteer coordinator for Kane County.
"It's a small thing, but it helps in a lot of ways."
Indeed. The National Weather Service uses CoCoRaHS data in its operations, local newscasts have featured the group's totals in their reports, and even NASA relies on information gathered by volunteers when planning launches and landings, said Mary Moltmann, McHenry County's volunteer coordinator.
"People do use this data," she said.
Recorded measurements also are used to document climate patterns and water resources over the long term.
The effort began in 1998 after researchers at the Colorado Climate Center had a difficult time documenting two storms that resulted in more than 12 inches of rain in a short period of time, causing flash floods and claiming several lives.
The grant-funded organization has since spread into 26 states, and leaders have plans to bring it to at least 10 more this year. Illinois volunteers have been recording data since December 2006.
Snurka participated in the program while living in Colorado, and was the first person to sign up in Kane County when organizers expanded the network into Illinois.
He now manages some 50 volunteers in Kane County, and hopes to double that number this year.
"I'm a weather geek in some ways," he said. "That stuff interests me."
Volunteers must purchase and set up a standard 4-inch rain gauge at a location in their yard that's free of obstructions like trees or buildings. The equipment can be had for about $25.
Then, just check the gauge each morning, preferably around 7 a.m., and record your findings on the CoCoRaHS Web site.
"It's very straightforward," he said.
Snurka even gets his children, ages 8 and 11, involved in the process.
But what if there is no rain to record?
"We need zeros as much as we need anything else," he said, "because it shows where precipitation occurs as well as where it doesn't."
The group also offers ways to record snowfall and hail in some states, said Moltmann.
"We're grateful for anybody who goes out to do those measurements," she said.
Organizers strongly recommend volunteers attend a training session to get started.
To sign up for the upcoming free program in St. Charles, call the University of Illinois Extension Center in Rockford at (815) 397-7714 or go to web.extension.uiuc.edu/ Rockford center and use the program registration section. You do not have to be from Kane County to participate.
Another training session is scheduled for March 17 in Yorkville. Call (630) 553-5823 for details on that seminar. Sessions last about two hours and cover all the basics.
If you can't attend a seminar, you can still get started with the program by signing up at www.cocorahs.org and using the training tools there.
If you go
What: Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow network training session
When: 7 p.m. Feb. 25
Where: Kane County Extension office of the University of Illinois, 535 S. Randall Road, St. Charles.