Colorado-Based Precipitation Network Helps Measure Mid-Atlantic Storm

DENVER -- The Community Collaborative Rain and Hail Study, known as CoCo RaHS, is a dynamic group of backyard weather watchers that has grown from its humble beginnings in Fort Collins to over a dozen U.S. states.

The CoCo RaHS network is made up of over 2,000 volunteer weather observers.

Several CoCo RaHS observers were in the path of the heavy rain that fell June 25 and 26 in the mid-Atlantic states. Numerous locations from Pennsylvania to Maryland and Virginia recorded more than five inches of rain.

One observer south of Hyattsville, Md., recorded 10.06 inches of rain in a 24-hour period that ended at 7 a.m. Sunday, June 25.

It is hard to imagine 10 inches of rain in one day, considering many places in Colorado and the western United States don't see that much precipitation in one calendar year.

To see a footprint from the heavy weekend rain just click here to visit the CoCo RaHS website.

If you find this to be interesting, check out the maps where you live and see if there are any volunteers collecting data. CoCo RaHS hopes to have at least one person per square mile in urban settings, and as close to that as possible in rural areas, to capture an accurate footprint of passing storms.

CoCo RaHS is a non-profit volunteer network open to the public. To volunteer, the only supplies you need are hail pads, a snow board, something to measure the snow with, and a rain gauge. Observers use a standard 4-inch diameter, National Weather Service-approved, 11-inch liquid capacity rain gauge. They retail for $40 at most science stores, but CoCo RaHS is able to purchase them for just $25. Volunteer donations to cover rain gauge costs are greatly appreciated and help to sustain the network.

If you would like more information on CoCo RaHS, visit their Web site.