DENVER -- Colorado's home-grown citizen rainfall network is looking for volunteers along the Front Range to measure precipitation in their own back yards and report their observations via the Internet.

"Being an observer is fun and easy and only takes five minutes a day," said local volunteer and Denver-area coordinator Chris Spears.

The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, better known as CoCoRaHS, has roots in Colorado that date back to 1997.

With over 14,000 volunteers in 49 states, CoCoRaHS measurements are being used for important daily and long-term decision-making on drought and water supply for agricultural, recreation, utility providers, resource managers, teachers, scientists and homeowners.

Organizations like the National Weather Service use CoCoRaHS data on a daily basis across the county.

"With precipitation being so variable, ordinary citizens using a simple 4-inch rain gauge can make a huge difference in helping their communities. We definitely get a clearer picture of how much rain or snow has fallen," stated Henry Reges, the network's national coordinator. "We certainly need more volunteer observers along the Front Range of Colorado, especially throughout the Denver metro area."

CoCoRaHS will host several training and information sessions in the Denver Metropolitan Area during the month of October. These will offer new volunteers a hands-on opportunity to accurately measure precipitation while giving current volunteers a refresher course.

Class times and locations are as follows:

Tuesday, Oct. 13 – Highlands Ranch Library – 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 17 – Brighton Library – 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 17 – NCAR Mesa Lab (Boulder) – 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 19 – Thornton Library – 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 24 – Castle Rock Library – 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 24 – Lone Tree Library – 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

To RSVP for a session or to learn more about the organization, please visit visit the CoCoRaHS Web site.

You may also contact Chris Spears via e-mail at denvermetrococorahs@msn.com or phone at 303-828-7284.

CoCoRaHS welcomes volunteers from outside the Denver metro area.

There are currently two training classes scheduled for the north-central mountains.

The first is in Granby on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Sulphur Ranger District.

The second is in Walden from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Colorado State University Extension Office.