states competing to see who can recruit the most weather observers
SOUTH CAROLINA (March 10, 2022) — The SCDNR’s Climatology Office, in partnership with the National Weather Service, is recruiting citizen weather observers for CoCoRaHS.
The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, known as CoCoRaHS, is a grassroots volunteer network of backyard weather observers of all ages and backgrounds. The program started in Colorado in 1998 and started in South Carolina in 2008. Over 350 observers currently report daily rainfall and the occasional snowfall, and 70 of those observers have been with the program since 2008. Despite the hundreds of active volunteers, there are still areas with no observers, and every county needs additional observers.
According to State Climatologist Hope Mizzell, “These citizen scientists have been instrumental in measuring precipitation across the Palmetto State, by supplying data during high impact rainfall events, including the recent floods of 2015, and those associated with Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Tropical Storm Florence in 2018.” The data has also been vital in tracking drought conditions across the state, especially in 2010-2013, 2015-2016, and most recently in the fall of 2019.
Every March, the organization hosts a recruitment contest to add observers to the program. “South Carolina won the competition in 2018 and 2019 and finished 3rd in 2021. This year, the goal is 200 volunteers across the state,” said Melissa Griffin, Assistant State Climatologist and State Coordinator for the CoCoRaHS program.
By using low-cost measurement tools, stressing training and education, and utilizing an interactive website, the program’s mission is to provide the highest quality data for natural resources, education, and research applications.
Help us encourage participation in CoCoRaHS, one of the most recognized citizen science projects in the United States.
To become an observer, visit www.cocorahs.org.