|
|
Community Collaborative
Rain, Hail and Snow Network to Kick Off
By
Aimee Nielson
LEXINGTON, Ky., (Oct. 24, 2007) – On Nov. 1, Kentucky is set to
join more than 20 other states using community volunteers to
measure and map precipitation.
The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow network (CoCoRaHS)
is a unique, nonprofit, community-based network of volunteers of
all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map
precipitation including rain, hail and snow.
“We are excited to become a part of the CoCoRaHS network,” said
Tom Priddy, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture
meteorologist and co-coordinator of Kentucky network. “The great
thing about this is that anyone can volunteer and participate,
young or old. The only real requirements are an enthusiasm for
weather watching and reporting weather conditions and a desire
to learn more about how weather can affect and impact the lives
of Kentuckians.”
By using low-cost measurement tools, stressing training and
education and using an interactive Web site, CoCoRaHS’ aim is to
provide the highest quality data for natural resource, education
and research applications. With each rain, hail or snow event,
volunteers take measurements of precipitation at their location.
Afterward, volunteers record precipitation reports online at
http://www.cocorahs.org. The database then generates,
organizes and displays reports for anyone to apply to daily
situations ranging from water resource analysis and severe storm
warnings to neighbors comparing how much rain fell in their
backyards. Priddy said every Kentucky county will have a
precipitation map with daily updates.
“We know that precipitation greatly varies from county to county
and even within communities,” Priddy said. “Having a network of
volunteers will help us see the true precipitation picture
across Kentucky, and that can be very important, especially in
drought years where every little bit of moisture matters.”
Joe Sullivan, coordination meteorologist at the National Weather
Service office in Louisville said the collected data will play a
part in NWS forecasting.
"CoCoRaHS reports will provide the National Weather Service with
high resolution rainfall data that we will use to provide more
accurate flood and flash flood warnings,” he said.
Priddy said Tennessee has built up a large network in a very
short time.
“They’ve gathered more than 600 volunteers just since April,” he
said. “When we get up and running, this network will provide
accurate, high-quality precipitation data for our many end users
on a timely basis. We’ll be able to increase the density of
precipitation data available throughout the country by
encouraging volunteer weather observing. We’ll also be
encouraging citizens to have fun participating in meteorological
science and heightening their awareness about weather. One other
outcome of starting the CoCoRaHS network in Kentucky is
providing enrichment activities in water and weather resources
for teachers, educators and the community at large to name a
few.”
"CoCoRaHS will provide detail about the geographic variability
of measured precipitation that has previously been unavailable
to those who study and rely upon weather data,” said Stu Foster,
state climatologist at Western Kentucky University and Kentucky
CoCoRaHS co-coordinator. “The Kentucky Climate Center is excited
to be part of this joint initiative that is sure to benefit
people throughout the commonwealth.”
Kentucky CoCoRaHS is a collaboration of the UK College of
Agriculture, Kentucky Climate Center at Western Kentucky
University, Kentucky’s National Weather Service offices and
Kentucky Farm Service Agency.
For more information or to sign up as a volunteer, contact
Priddy at 859-257-3000, ext. 245 or via e-mail at
Priddy@email.uky.edu.
The network originated with the Colorado Climate Center at
Colorado State University in 1998, due in part to the Fort
Collins flood a year prior. In the years since, CoCoRaHS has
expanded rapidly with more than 4,500 observers in more than
twenty states. |
Contact: Tom Priddy, 859-257-3000, ext. 245
|
|
The UK College
of Agriculture, through its land-grant mission, reaches across
the commonwealth with teaching, research and extension
to enhance the lives of Kentuckians. |
Questions/Comments,
e-mail the
webmaster
Copyright © 2001-2006 University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture,
Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service |
News Home
Other Headlines This Week
More
News
Atom (RSS) Now Available
for those
using news aggregation programs
College News
|
