Arleen taking a CoCoRaHS observation when we had 45″ on snow on the ground. The CoCoRaHS precipitation gauge is above her head this year. Picture taken March 3, 2023
Saturday – 15 Mar 2025 – 6:30pm
You could help to fill in a piece of the weather puzzle!
We are seeking CoCoRaHS backyard weather observers in Archuleta County, southern Hinsdale county, and northern New Mexico. CoCoRaHS is an acronym for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network. CoCoRaHS is a unique, non-profit, community-based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail and snow).
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) are major sponsors of CoCoRaHS. Arleen and Shawn Prochazka, of your local Pagosa Weather, are the Archuleta County coordinators for CoCoRaHS.
History
CoCoRaHS came about as a result of a devastating flash flood that hit Fort Collins, Colorado in July 1997. A very localized storm dumped over a foot of rain in several hours while other portions of the area had only modest rainfall. The ensuing flood caught many by surprise, caused $200 million in damage, and resulted in five deaths.
CoCoRaHS was born in 1998 with the intent of doing a better job of mapping and reporting intense storms. CoCoRaHS became a nationwide volunteer network in 2010 and is now international with observers helping provide critical precipitation observations, benefiting their country’s needs.
What is required of you
If you have an interest in weather and would like to help your local community, as well as scientists and others interested in precipitation, then being a CoCoRaHS weather observer is for you. It only takes a few minutes a day and gives you the chance to participate in real hands-on science.
Each morning, volunteers submit their observations using the CoCoRaHS website or app. Observations are immediately available to the public via maps and data analysis tools, and to data users via the CoCoRaHS Web API.
Data users such as scientists, resource managers, decision makers and others have come to rely on the high-density, quality measurements provided by CoCoRaHS observers. For example, hydrologists use the data to scrutinize snowpack across multiple elevations in late winter to analyze potential runoff and the impact on reservoirs and to mitigate flooding.
Areas we need CoCoRaHS observers
Archuleta County is well represented but we still have BIG data gaps. We really need a volunteer near Highway 160 West (past CR 700), in Arboles, in Pagosa Junction, in Dulce, near CR 359 (Alpine, Coyote or Alpine), near Upper Blanco, near East 160, and in southern Hinsdale county. See the map for the exact locations.
Sign up by filling out this web page: https://www.cocorahs.org/application.aspx. Tell them Pagosa Weather referred you. Or contact Arleen or Shawn Prochazka at pagosaweather@gmail.com for any questions you may have and for more detailed information.
We’d love for you to join our loyal and professional team of CoCoRaHS observers! Every fall we get together for training, to share weather stories, and to enjoy some home cooked food!
By providing your daily observation, you help to fill a piece of the weather puzzle that affects many across your area in one way or another.
