Spotter - CoCoRaHS

Northern Michigan CoCoRaHS
"Because Every Drop Counts"

Weather observers of all ages are wanted in northern Michigan to help study precipitation right in your own backyard! Sign up now at www.cocorahs.org.

What is CoCoRaHS?	Who can Participate?
How to Join CoCoRaHS	Upcoming Training Dates

An exciting weather observing program is in place across all of the United States, including Michigan - the Community Collaborative Rain and Hail/Snow Network (CoCoRaHS for short). Simply put, we are looking for volunteers of all ages who have a desire to take daily rain, snow, and/or hail measurements right from your backyard. A short 90 minute training session, an internet connection, and an official 4" diameter rain gauge is all you need to get started! For more information, please contact Keith Berger, or simply click on one of the links above for additional information.

View an image of all current CoCoRaHS stations in Michigan

View the CoCoRaHS Official YouTube Video Below:

What is CoCoRaHS?

CoCoRaHS is an acronym for Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network. CoCoRaHS is a non-profit community based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure precipitation. The network originated at Colorado State University in 1998 and has expanded to thousands of observers in the majority of states all across the United States. The National Weather Service and Michigan State University are helping to expand the CoCoRaHS network across Michigan.

Who can participate?

Picture of a rain gage
Example of preferred rain gauge for use with the CoCoRaHS Network

This is a community project and is open to people of all ages. The only requirements are an enthusiasm for watching and reporting weather conditions, a desire to learn more about how weather can affect our lives, a computer with internet access to report your data, and an official 4-inch diameter rain gauge like the one pictured to the left. The ultimate goal of the program is to have one observer per square mile in urban areas and one observer every 36 square miles in rural areas.

All observations from around the country can be viewed on the CoCoRaHS website This data will be used by the National Weather Service to help with flood forecasts and warnings across Michigan. Increased rain gauges and quality data means improved flood forecasts for rivers and streams, as well as improved flash flood warnings during heavy rain events. Your data may also be used by local television, radio and newspaper media, building engineers, insurance companies, emergency managers, State Climatologists and many others. It’s fun, only takes about 5 minutes or less each day, and anyone can do it with just a little training!

Rain gauges just like the one pictured to the left (known as a 4-inch rain gauge) are available for purchase from the CoCoRaHS web site. Cost is roughly $25, and with simple yearly maintenance, the gauge should easily last 10+ years. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to offer rain gauges here at the National Weather Service office.

How does one join CoCoRaHS and become an observer?

Visit the CoCoRaHS home page (www.cocorahs.org) and fill out an application. All new observers must attend a training session, either a live session presented by the National Weather Service (see below for dates).

Upcoming Training Dates

Online training is also always available (takes about 45 minutes).

For training outside of these areas, visit the Michigan CoCoRaHS page or your local NWS office webpage. If you would like to schedule and host a training session for your area, or just want more information, please feel free to contact the NWS at (989) 731-3384.

CoCoRaHS in Michigan is made possible by: The Michigan State Climate Office at Michigan State University and the National Weather Service offices serving Michigan. CoCoRaHS in Michigan is a joint effort by the Michigan State Climate Office, the National Weather Service, and the Colorado State University Climate Office.