Duration: 10/01/2008 to 09/30/2013

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

Statement of Issues and Justification

Precipitation (rain, hail and snow) is one of the most variable and extreme elements of the climate system. Precipitation totals can vary by 50% or more from year to year in parts of the U.S. Local precipitation at the county level can differ greatly from place to place in mountainous and coastal areas and also in areas dominated by convective precipitation. The need for timely, accurate and site-specific precipitation data continues to grow. However, resources to implement spatially dense observing networks over large areas of the country simply do not exist. Gauges that automatically measure all forms of precipitation over all ranges of climatic conditions are expensive, require maintenance and are not always reliable.

The presence or absence of precipitation and its accumulation over time regularly and profoundly impact nature and human activities. Agriculture, recreation, commerce and much of our natural and built environment are responsive (positively or negatively) to precipitation. More lives are lost in this country to flooding than to most other natural disasters. In many cases, the floods that claim lives are a result of highly localized storms that may not be well detected by existing weather-observing networks. Drought is arguably the most costly (in terms of dollars) of all natural disasters and occurs with varying degrees of severity and extent every year in our country. Yet we struggle to adequately monitor the onset, duration and termination of drought at a local level for the purposes of planning, assessment, emergency assistance, and relief.

Many activities, agencies and applications benefit from accurate, timely and local precipitation data. Examples include agricultural production and markets; water utilities who manage the collection and distribution of ground and surface water for municipal and industrial uses; irrigation districts who distribute large volumes of water from runoff for agricultural production: storm water managers and flood plain administrators who help protect society from the catastrophic impacts caused by flooding; engineers and contractors who use available precipitation data to size, design and build bridges, culverts, roofs, drains, sewers, etc. to safely handle the vast majority of precipitation events; and insurance programs that require accurate precipitation data to determine where and when claims should be filed and payments made. The list of uses and applications of precipitation data is long and continues to grow.

The monitoring and reporting of precipitation has traditionally been addressed by several federal weather observing networks. Some states and local entities have added additional monitoring capabilities for specific purposes. Tens of millions of dollars are spent each year to monitor weather conditions. Still, in many parts of the country there are at best one or two observing stations per county collecting year-round precipitation data. Observation of snowfall and hail is even more problematic. Remote sensing (radar, satellite) is used increasingly to provide continuous estimates of precipitation, soil moisture and evapotranspiration. These technologies need ground truth measurements for calibration and adjustment, and such measurements are often not available from the present networks.

There is a long and colorful history in the U.S. of volunteer weather observations helping meet information needs. The first climate observing network was established by the Smithsonian Institute in the early 1800s to begin to document and map the climate resources (temperature and precipitation) of our country. Later, the U.S. Weather Bureau (more recently called the National Weather Service) established a nationwide network of several thousand weather stations measuring daily temperature, rainfall and snowfall. Known as the Cooperative Observer Network, this 120-year-old network is the sole source of long-term precipitation data in our country and the only data source suitable for assessing long-term climate patterns, interannual variability and potential trends. This is an extraordinary long-lived and critically important network, but its ongoing support is marginal. Attempts to strengthen and modernize this network have been inadequate.

A highly cost-effective approach to the challenge of precipitation measurement, utilizing inexpensive manual rain gauges and volunteers to read them, may be a viable approach to addressing current needs. The recent successes of the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow (CoCoRaHS) network initiated by Colorado State University suggests that volunteer networks still have an important place in earth science monitoring, research and education in the 21st century. However, we must learn how to effectively manage and sustain networks of volunteers with limited staff and human resources. This coordinating committee will address these needs and opportunities.

Objectives

Procedures and Activities

In support of each of the three objectives above, the following activities will be undertaken individually and as a committee.

1) Promote volunteer precipitation observations as a cost-effective approach to monitoring this highly variable and critically important element of our climate:

a)Develop strategies to reach potential collaborators and supporters who share the need for accurate, timely and local precipitation information.

b)Through shared experiences and collective expertise, identify and expand the communication and collaborations that best build and maintain a community of weather volunteers motivated to accurately measure and report precipitation.

c)Support the existing NWS Cooperative Observer Network as the essential baseline climate (temperature and precipitation) observing system for the nation.

2) Improve precipitation monitoring capabilities and applications by supplementing existing observing networks:

a) Increase participation in volunteer precipitation observing in targeted areas.

b) Integrate volunteer data with new and existing data sources and information products.

c) Learn from research and resources to improve measurement methodology and data quality assurance.

3) Educate the community on the value and applications of high density precipitation observations:

a)Assemble examples of current uses of high-resolution volunteer precipitation data in research, operations and education.

b)Compile information on precipitation gauge performance, biases, and limitations, and assemble into a form that can be shared (websites, publications, bibliographies, etc.).

c)Identify, adapt and/or encourage the development of educational resources that make use of local high density volunteer precipitation observations.

The actions of this committee will increase professional awareness in the current and future role of volunteer observing networks to support high-level monitoring, research, education and operations. Our efforts will enhance and expand dynamic, long-lived, cost-effective volunteer precipitation networks and will help mobilize a large national community of Citizen Scientists. This, in turn, will supplement and complement existing formal monitoring networks and provide higher spatial detail than any existing regional or national observing network.

This committee will provide a guiding structure for volunteer precipitation observing networks that will result in standard high quality, timely and accessible precipitation data to serve many known and potential future needs. This effort will help instill greater confidence in volunteer-collected data among scientists, educators and decision-makers. The committee will also provide guidance for the new networks with standard-common instrument types and sensor siting in order to reduce instrument and exposure errors and increase spatial compatibility in the U.S. Data from volunteer precipitation networks will provide much-needed local data on the sub-county scale to support forecasters and local emergency managers in documenting floods, winter storms and severe thunderstorms. This type of information will also assist flood plain managers and water providers as they assess available water supplies and weather-affected water demand. Precipitation data from volunteer networks have great potential to improve remote sensing applications by providing detailed ground truth for calibrating radar and satellite products. This will also help national efforts such as the National Integrated Drought Information Systems early warning efforts, partnership development and drought education. Several programs of the U.S. Farm Bill administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service will directly benefit from improved local precipitation monitoring.

This coordination effort is an opportunity to inform broader audiences on the challenges and current limitations of precipitation measurements. Through improved knowledge of measurement biases and uncertainties, users will be able to make better use and better decisions based on available precipitation data. Finally, volunteer measurements of rain, hail and snow are not just a source of data to scientists and practitioners, but also an inroad into applied science and science discovery for people of all ages with an interest in their natural world.

('Community' is defined broadly as the general public, educators, scientists, natural resource professionals, agribusiness and any groups or organizations who may benefit from a better knowledge of precipitation patterns in their areas.)

Expected Outcomes and Impacts

Projected Participation

View Appendix E: Participation

Educational Plan

This committee will have members in states spread across the country. Many members are actively involved in education and outreach within their own states and institutions. Therefore, a great deal of outreach and education regarding the role and importance of volunteer networks for measuring precipitation will occur naturally and informally through the many connections and collaborations of our membership. Specific actions proposed by this committee to expand the quality, quantity, uses and applications of precipitation data from volunteer networks will include: 1) The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow network webpage http://www.cocorahs.org, 2) The CoCoRaHS listserv and messages to volunteers and volunteer leaders, 3) The CoCoRaHS Google-groups for improving communications among network volunteer leaders, 4) Presentations by committee participants at scientific and extension conferences, 5) A proposed publication to be submitted to the American Association of State Climatologists online service climatology journal. Our education plan will focus on existing organizations that can generate greater participation in volunteer weather observing and that stand to benefit from improved community precipitation monitoring. Examples of organizations that we plan to reach out to include Cooperative Extension (4-H, Master Gardeners, Environmental Stewards, Master Naturalists, etc.), local emergency management organizations, flood plain management organizations, conservation and natural resource districts, local agricultural organizations, water planning and management agencies, and local utilities.

Organization/Governance

The governance will tentatively involve a chair and chair-elect. The chair will be respoonsible for the meeting agenda and chair-elect will handle the annual report. Each year, the chair-elect will become chair and a new chair-elect selected by the committee. A final governance structure will be adopted at the first meeting.

Literature Cited

Doesken, N., 2001: Rain gauges, are they really ground truth, COMET Webcast [Available at http://meted.ucar.edu/qpf/rgauge/ ]

Doesken, N., 2007: Let it Rain. Weatherwise, Vol. 60, 4, July/August, pp. 50-55.

DeMouche, L., D. Bathke, and N. Doesken, 2007: Master Gardeners Role in encouraging water conservation using a rain gauge network. Journal of Extension, Vol. 45 4(August), 4IAW5.

Petersen, Walter A., Lawrence D. Carey, Steven A. Rutledge, Jason C. Knievel, Nolan J. Doesken, Richard H. Johnson, Thomas B. McKee, Thomas Vonder Haar, and John F. Weaver, 1999: Mesoscale and radar observations of the Fort Collins flash flood of 28 July 1997. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 80, 2(February), pp. 191-216.

Cifelli, R., N. Doesken, P. Kennedy, L.D. Carey, S.A. Rutledge, C. Gimmestad and T. Depue, 2005: The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network: Informal education for scientists and citizens. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., Vol. 86, 8(Aug), 1069-1077.

National Research Council (NRC), 1998: Future of the National Weather Service Cooperative Observer Network. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 65 pp.

Neff, Earl L., 1977: How much rain does a rain gage gage? Journal of Hydrology, 35, pp. 213-220.

Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

AZ, CO, IL, KS, MI, MO, ND, NJ, OR, SD, UT, WY

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, BLM, California Department of Water Resources, Florida State University, NOAA, OR, Oregon State University, other, other:CO, Texas A&M University, University of Washington, USDA Midwest Climate Hub, USDA-ARS/CO