Published: April 19, 2009 09:33 pm      

Weather volunteers needed in Vermilion County

OAKWOOD — A volunteer weather program is looking for observers throughout Vermilion County to measure rain, snow and hail.

Observers are needed in Danville, Hoopeston, Georgetown, Rankin, Potomac, Rossville, Oakwood, Fairmount, Catlin, Westville, Indianola and other locations throughout Vermilion County. Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are welcome to participate.

“Most of us are aware that rainfall amounts can vary greatly over short distances, especially in the spring and summer,” said Stacy Larson, director of the University of Illinois Extension, Vermilion County Unit.

“A thunderstorm can drop 1 inch of rain on a location, while 2 miles away hardly a drop will fall. Radar can tell us where it rained, but it is the observer on the ground that tells us how much rain actually has fallen.”

The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow network is a grassroots national program of backyard weather observers working together to measure and map precipitation in their communities.

“The more rainfall observers we have, the better we can describe the amount and extent of precipitation in Illinois,” Laron said. “CoCoRaHS observers are also a valuable supplement to the daily weather observations by National Weather Service observers. This is a great activity for families, schools, and anyone interested in the weather or the environment.”

The observations made by CoCoRaHS volunteers are used by a variety of organizations and individuals, including the National Weather Service, other meteorologists, hydrologists, emergency managers, city utilities (for issues related to water supply, conservation and storm water), insurance adjusters, U.S. Department of Agriculture, engineers, mosquito-control specialists, farmers, outdoor and recreational interests, teachers, students, and neighbors.

CoCoRaHS, a nonprofit organization, is supported by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other contributors. CoCoRaHS in Illinois is coordinated by the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois, the National Weather Service, and the University of Illinois Extension Natural Resources Management Team.

FYI

To participate as a volunteer weather observer or for more information, interested persons may attend an information and training workshop at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Vermilion Extension office, 12190 U.S. Route 150. There is no cost to attend the training session, but pre-registration is required by today. Register by calling the extension office at 442-8615 or by e-mailing Steve Hilberg at hberg@illinois.edu.