Thanks to Noah Newman and the CoCoRaHS team for sharing this powerpoint, presented at the June 2012 Workshop on Integrating Citizen Science into Science Center Programming.

1. Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network
Noah Newman
noah@cocorahs.org

2. What is CoCoRaHS??
CoCoRaHS is a national made up of volunteers of all
non-profit, ‘citizen backgrounds and ages . . .
science’ network
. . . who take daily measurements of
precipitation right in their own
backyards”

3. All Types of
Precipitation!
Rain
Hail
Snow

4. Why CoCoRaHS ??
Precipitation is important and
highly variable
Data sources are few and
rain gauges are far apart
PRISM: used by permission

5. CoCoRaHS was born in response to the
1997 Fort Collins, Colorado Flood

6. The flood pointed out:
1. The extreme local variations in rainfall.
2. The important role individuals can
play in measuring, mapping and
A B reporting precipitation.
Distance between A and B = 5 miles
A = 14.5 inches
B = 2.0 inches

7. Once trained, our
volunteers collect data
using low-cost
measurement tools . . .
Aluminum foil-wrapped
4-inch diameter Styrofoam hail pads
high capacity rain gauges
Training is important to assure
accurate, high quality data

8. and report their daily observations on our
interactive Web site: www.cocorahs.org

9. Volunteer’s observations are
immediately available in map
and table form for the public
to view.
Fort Collins, Co
Locally
Nationally

10. CoCoRaHS’s main focus is to provide:

11. precipitation data . . .
Albuquerque, NM
Daily data
in table form
Daily precipitation maps:
Rainfall, Hail and Snowfall
This data allows CoCoRaHS to supplement existing networks and provide many useful results
to scientists, resource managers, decision makers and other end users on a timely basis.

12. . . . as well as educational opportunities
“Helping to provide the public with a
better understanding of weather”

13. CoCoRaHS data are used by
many
• Teachers and Students
• National Weather Service – Aligned with State and
• Other Meteorologists National Science Standards
• Hydrologists – Taking measurements
• Emergency Managers – Analyzing data
• City Utilities – Organizing results
-Water supply – Conducting research
-Water conservation
– Geography, Math, Writing, Art
-Storm water
• Insurance adjusters
• USDA—Crop production
• Engineers
• Scientists studying storms
• Mosquito control
• Farm Service Agency
• Ranchers and Farmers
• Outdoor & Recreation

14. What began as a
community project
Has turned into an
important nationwide
precipitation database

16. “A Rain Gauge at Every School”
will help achieve this goal
…with the help from
“Celebrate Colorado Water 2012”

17. “A Rain Gauge at Every School”
Lesson Plans and Activities
Elementary School Middle School High School
•Basic measurements •Basic measurements •Basic measurements
•Computer data entry •Computer data entry •Computer data entry
•Utilizing maps, charts •Utilizing maps, charts •Utilizing maps, charts
and graphs and graphs and graphs
•Basic Activities •Basic Activities •Basic Activities
•Intermediate •Intermediate
measurements measurements
•Data analysis •Data analysis
•Lab experiments •Lab experiments
•Advanced
measurements
•Advanced data analysis

18. CoCoRaHS events:
The ‘Make it Rain Game’

19. How Can Five Easy Steps
you get Sign-up on the
involved? CoCoRaHS web page
www.cocorahs.org
Obtain a 4” plastic rain gauge
View the “training slide show” or
attend a training session
Set-up the gauge in a “good”
location in your backyard
www.cocorahs.org Start observing precipitation
and report on-line.
noah@cocorahs.org

20. It’
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