As many of you know, I am a local precipitation reporter for CoCoRaHS. I just got an e-mail from the coordinator, who lives in Colorado, explaining why what we are doing is so important. Anyone willing to spend a small amount of money on a rain gauge can join and I encourage you to do so. As our weather gets less and less predictable due to climate change, we need eyes everywhere.
Here's what Nolan had to say:
Dear CoCoRaHS volunteers, friends, foes and family,
Yes, indeed, it‚s July 21-- the dog days of summer. For many parts of
the country this is the hottest, humidest (is that a word?), stillest
(least windy) time of year. As a child, it was my favorite time even
though my upstairs bedroom was painfully hot. It was the time to hang
out with all the neighborhood boys in tiny Royal, IL -- playing
baseball, listening to the Cubs on the radio, and trying to sell
lemonade on main street where only a few cars came even on busy days. At
a nickel a glass and sharing the profits 5 ways, we didn't get rich.
Then, of course, was the daily ritual of cloud gazing and listening for
the first rumbles of thunder. I loved doing that already by the time I
was 7. Then we would watch for distant lightning after sunset with the
hopes of the cool refreshment of a summer storm. I find myself longing
now for those simple pleasures. Fall seemed so far away then, and summer
seemed wonderfully endless. It is odd how perspectives change with age
and responsibility. Now it seems like summer will soon be over and the
new school year will begin way too soon -- and then come the high winter
utility bills.
A reminder about why CoCoRaHS is important
Here in our part of the country (Colorado) the next 3 weeks hold more
potential (based on historic rainfall data) for local intense rains than
any other time of year. This is thanks to subtropical moisture carried
northward by the North American monsoon, a very warm atmosphere capable
of "holding" copious amounts of moisture, and a weak jet stream -- which
means the storms that develop will move slowly. Even today, the air is
ripe with moisture, and the potential for local heavy rains is clearly
stated in the National Weather Service forecast.
This resembles the weather that first motivated CoCoRaHS several years
ago. On July 28, 1997, one of those localized moisture-laden
thunderheads parked itself over west Fort Collins (where I live and
work) and dropped over a foot of rain while other areas just a few miles
away were dry or enjoying a pleasant summer shower. In those few hours,
as the rain poured down 2-3" per hour for over 4 hours straight in what
is normally a semi-arid region, our world briefly but chaotically turned
upside down. Houses flooded, cars floated away, our university was
partially wrecked, there were hundreds of emergency rescues, a train
wreck, gas explosions -- and unfortunately 5 fatalities. It all happened
so fast. 12 years earlier, on August 1, 1985 (the day after our first
child was born), Cheyenne, Wyoming was in the bulls eye of a similar
local storm -- and again, many fatalities and millions of dollars in
damage. And then, of course, the nightmarish Big Thompson Canyon flash
flood of July 31, 1976 -- over 140 souls lost in what was supposed to be
the grand celebration of Colorado's statehood centennial the next day.
That is some of the motivation behind CoCoRaHS and why we care so much.
With a small effort from many weather enthusiasts, we can gather
critical rainfall data, avoid panic storm surprises, and let people know
just how bad a storm is so that warnings can be posted and evacuations
can take place sooner. We can even help engineers and planners do a
better job planning and designing drainage, gutters, culverts and storm
sewers. We can encourage more people to avoid driving into flood waters.
And gradually, working together, we all gain a better understanding of
storms and their behavior. This is the ideal and its worth the effort.
As more and more people join CoCoRaHS across the country, we are making
a difference. Check out the recent "Significant Weather Reports", the
"Drought Impact Reports" and the hail reports under „View Data‰
http://www.cocorahs.org/ViewData/
Yesterday, several stations in southern Iowa and northeast Missouri were
dumped on by over 6" of rain. The peak was of 9.13" near Kirksville, MO.
Today, another area will see heavy rains and tomorrow yet another area.
Each time our rain gauge reports will be helpful and perhaps essential.
Meanwhile, abnormally dry conditions continue to expand in other parts
of the country missed by the July storms. Our rainfall reports, wet or
dry, really do make a difference. Thanks so much for participating and
helping out.
