The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow network (CoCoRaHS for short) is a non-profit, grass-roots, volunteer network of observers of all ages manually measuring precipitation in their backyards. Each time a rain, hail or snow storm crosses your area, volunteers take measurements of precipitation from as many locations as possible (s. The data is then displayed and organized for many of ou
r end-users to analyze and apply to daily situations ranging from water resource analysis and severe storm warnings to neighbours comparing how much rain fell in their backyards. CoCoRaHS Canada is used by a wide variety of organizations and individuals. Meteorologists, hydrologists, emergency managers, city utilities (water supply, water conservation, storm water), insurance adjusters, engineers, mosquito control, farmers, outdoor enthusiast, teachers, students, and neighbours in the community are just some examples of those who visit our website and use our data. Precipitation is variable even over the shortest distances. By having volunteers monitor precipitation in their area, we can better capture this variability. Precipitation measurements are essential for public safety, agriculture, forestry, and flood monitoring, just to name a few. In fact, in 2011, Manitoba and parts of Saskatchewan experienced the worst flooding in over 300 years resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in damages to homes, farmland, and infrastructure. Engineers that predict and monitor flooding need accurate rainfall and snowfall data to assist them in their decision making when responding to these types of emergencies. You can be part of the solution by becoming a CoCoRaHS volunteer.
