Letting Everyone Know How Much Rain and Snow Falls:

I've been monitoring rainfall during growing seasons since I began gardening so I know when less than an inch of rain falls in a week - indicating that it may be time to water sensitive plants. Neighbors know that I do this and often ask me rain amounts and I'm happy to share the data. This spring I attended a National Weather Service seminar on reporting significant weather events and they urged attendees to join CoCoRaHS  (pronounced KO-ko-rozz) , an acronym for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network. I joined right away!

Rain Gage That Fills Up a Central Tube That Overflows Into the Surrounding Cylinder. This Enables Rainfall to Be Accurately Measured to 0.01 of an Inch. Overflow Is Simply Emptied Into the Center Tube (After Emptying It) and the Amounts Added Together.

The Gage Itself Is Unobtrusive, Can be mounted on a Fence or a Post Away From Buildings, Trees or Obstructions That May Affect Results.

What's required? Purchase an accurate rain gage ($30) and report what it collects every day at a specific time (me: 7AM) or, if you are away from home, when you return. It takes me less than a minute each morning to send the data: a single click to submit the pre-filled "zero" submission or typing in the few digits of actual precipitation of rain. This information is immediately available through the website:  

http://www.cocorahs.org/ 

I no longer write rainfall depths on the calendar because it's easier to poll the data from this website. If you want to know how much it rains here, just poll Station Number: NY-RN-13 and the dates of interest.

My Data From "View Data" Tab on http://www.cocorahs.org/ 

Consider joining this network for its largest value is its ability to warn of potential flooding. This community developed in response to devastating flooding in Colorado when no warning was broadcast and people died. Participants in the program are urged to rapidly submit periodic rainfall data during heavy rains so that the weather service can utilize the information. Doppler radar gives estimates, not rain that actually hits the ground. My neighbors still ask about rainfall numbers but are now also aware of this online resource.