Volunteer Opportunity: Weather Observers

Interested? Register here or contact Kevin Erb at kevin.erb@wisc.edu

Improve forecasts by becoming a volunteer weather observer!

How heavy was the rainfall last night? How much snow fell? Did you see the size of that hail? Join over 500 fellow volunteers across Wisconsin who report precipitation online to ensure measurements of snow, rain and hail are available for your area.

This March, the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) is recruiting volunteer weather observers as part of their “March Madness” campaign, a nationwide competition to see which state can recruit the most volunteers.

Everyone can participate! The only requirements are an enthusiasm for watching and reporting weather conditions and a desire to help improve forecasts. All you need to do is sign up, attend a free online training course, grab a high-quality rain gauge, and you’re ready to start measuring precipitation in your backyard.

The data you provide will help improve weather forecasting models, forecasts of river stages and flood levels on local waterways, and will inform National Weather Service thunderstorm and flash flood warnings.

For more information, contact:

Kevin Erb

University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension

920-391-4652

kevin.erb@wisc.edu

Press Release provided by Jenna Mertz UW-Madison Division of Extension