SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report

Sections

Basic Information
Additional Info

Status: Approved

Basic Information

Project No. and Title: WERA_OLD1012 : Managing and Utilizing Precipitation Observations from Volunteer Networks
Period Covered: 10/01/2010 to 09/01/2011
Date of Report: 07/28/2011
Annual Meeting Dates: 05/25/2011 to 05/27/2011

Akyuz, Adnan (adnan.akyuz@ndsu.edu) - ND State Univ.; Archer, Scott (Scott_Archer@blm.gov) - Jefferson Cty Coordinator; Asmus, Mike (mike.asmus@noaa.gov) - NOAA/NWS SRH; Bergantino, Tony (antonius@uwyo.edu) - Univ. of Wyoming; Davies, Robert (robert.davies@usu.edu) - Utah State Univ.; Doesken, Nolan (nolan@atmos.colostate.edu) - CoCoRaHS HTQRS; Eise, John (john.eise@noaa.gov) - NOAA/NWS CRH; Gimmestad, Chad (chad.gimmestad@noaa.gov) - NOAA/NWSFO - Boulder; Goble, Peter (qc@cocorahs.org) - CoCoRaHS HTQRS; Griffin, Melissa (griffin@coaps.fsu.edu) - Florida State Univ.; Halquist, John (john.halquist@noaa.gov) - NOAA/NWS/NOHRSC; Hilberg, Steve (hberg@uiuc.edu) - MRCC/Illinois State Water; Jones, Jim (jim.jones@noaa.gov) - NOAA/NWS - Training Ctr.; Knapp, Mary (mknapp@ksu.edu) - Kansas State Univ.; Korzeniewski , Bryant (Bryant.korzeniewski@noaa.gov) - NOAA/NCDC; Merriman, Tony (tony.merriman@noaa.gov) - NOAA/NWSFO - Bismarck; Newman, Noah (nnewman@atmos.colostate.edu) - CoCoRaHS HTQRS; Olheiser, Carrie (carrie.olheiser@noaa.gov) - NOAA/NWS/NOHRSC; Reges, Henry (henry.reges@colostate.edu) - CoCoRaHS HTQRS; Robinson, Dave (david.robinson@rutgers.edu) - Rutgers Univ.; Schargenberg, Kevin (kevin.scharfenberg@noaa.gov) - NOAA/OCWWS; Schwalbe, Zach (zach@cocorahs.org) - CoCoRaHS HTQRS; Selover, Nancy (selover@asu.edu) - Arizona State Univ.; Townsend, Thomas (tom.townsend@noaa.gov) - NOAA/NWS CRH; Turner, Julian (julian.turner@colostate.edu) - CoCoRaHS HTQRS; Zdrojewski, Jim (james.zdrojewski@noaa.gov) - NOAA/NWS HTQRS;

Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

The fourth WERA-1012 Committee meeting was held in Estes Park, Colorado at the YMCA of the Rockies 23-25 May 2011. During the meeting, the vision of the future of CoCoRaHS was laid out through a series of discussions and presentations pertaining to various enhancements that could be made because of new funding that had been secured. These enhancements include data analysis, mapping, usability, data entry, etc. Perspectives from the states represented were given, with a common theme being the need for continued communication not only with the participants, but also with the various levels of coordinators from the regional to the local levels. There were also presentations given that described some of the additional networks that exist and the different things they have had to overcome and the types of audiences they serve. Uses of the data from the CoCoRaHS network were also discussed with emphasis on needing to show its value. Again the need for communication and education arose, for example stressing to participants the value that an observation of 0.0 has. The subcommittees that had been established previously gave updates as to their progress. (See the Accomplishments section for the actions of these subcommittees.) The active committees are:

Committee for Precipitation Measurement
Training and Education
CoCoRaHS/COOP Collaboration
Sustainability/Funding
NWS COOP 125th Anniversary Planning
CoCoRaHS March Madness Regulations
Web Design

Legacy attachment file:

[Minutes]

Accomplishments

1. The March Madness Regulations committee established two contests to be run simultaneously each March. After looking at various methods to count points, it was decided that the first awards would be given to the state with the highest raw number of new recruits. A second trophy would be given to the state with the highest number of population-weighted recruits, which would keep less populated states in contention. 2. The Web Site Design committee presented a suggested user interface for the CoCoRaHS website that would help eliminate some of the errors that are seen in data entry, and which would also present a less-complicated entry screen. 3. Two major grants (NOAA Education and NSF) were secured for sustaining the network. As far as funding, two successful fundraisers were also held. 4. As part of the Data Quality Assurance and Control committee efforts, QC Tips of the Week were compiled and sent out and the CoCoRaHS Data QC Ticketing system was rolled out to Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, South Dakota, and Wyoming in addition to Illinois which was doing the initial testing. The system allows coordinators to file a ticket when a suspicious value is seen and allows for tracking of how the issue is resolved. 5. A training guide handout was prepared by the Training and Education Committee. Additional training materials (videos and handouts) are being considered to answer What If questions such as how to handle special events like fog, large snow cores, etc.

Impacts

1. QA/QC Ticketing system will enhance the quality of the data going into CoCoRaHS and will provide means of tracking the recurring types of errors. This tracking will highlight areas for further training materials to target and reduce these errors.
2. New funding sources will allow for enhancements to the CoCoRaHS system across a wide range of areas from data entry to data analysis and increased performance.
3. Increased data points for analysis of drought impacts and reports to the Drought Monitor
4. Some school districts in North Dakota and Minnesota started observing and reporting precipitation data. It not only made K-12 students understand how precipitation events are quantified but also gave them an opportunity to analyze weather data, use simple statistical method to display data spatially and temporally.
5. National Weather Service (NWS) in every watch/warning area of the country were able to ingest the significant weather events (hail, intense rain, localized flooding) from CoCoRaHS observers to assist NWS forecasters issuing and verifying watches and warnings for severe thunderstorms in their respective Watch and Warning Areas.

Publications

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