Weather observers needed! Virtual training session this Monday for CoCoRaHS

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - Attention all weather enthusiasts who are interested in getting involved with weather observations!

It is because of weather observers who measure and record observations like rainfall, snowfall and hail that allow forecasters like the FOX19 First Alert Weather Team to know what is happening in locations other than airports and Mesonet stations.

A national network called CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow network) has volunteer observers take rain, hail and snow observations right in their own backyard and relay those observations to forecasters including the National Weather Service.

And the National Weather Service office in Wilmington, Ohio is offering a free virtual training session on Monday, March 20 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. for those interested in becoming an observer with CoCoRaHS.

Ashley Novak, Meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Wilmington, Ohio, says that CoCoRaHS observers, “really aid National Weather Service in issuing or verifying life-saving warnings. In addition, CoCoRaHS observations provide knowledge for how much rainfall has occurred, which helps in river forecasting as well.... also, CoCoRaHS observations help in drought monitoring. It’s just as important to know where it did not rain as where it rained.”

The virtual training session is open to everyone.

To sign up for the training session, you can register here.

CoCoRaHS data is open for anyone to utilize on the www.cocorahs.org website.

Also, if you are interested in being a weather observer not only for daily observations of rain, snow or hail but also for storm spotting, Novak says that, “those that are interested in the weather in addition to being a CoCoRaHS observer, you can also become a SKYWARN storm spotter where you can provide real time reports of severe weather that occur in your location when it is safe to do so.”

For details on becoming either a CoCoRaHS observer or SKYWARN storm spotter, you can visit the National Weather Service Office in Wilmington’s homepage here and check the latest ‘News Headlines’ towards the top.

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