Author Topic: May 1st for WV (Read 12618 times)

SlowModem · « **on:** April 21, 2009, 08:51:25 PM »

The following is from the newsletter I received today:

Welcome West Virgina

The official launch for CoCoRaHS in West Virginia is May 1st. But
volunteers can begin signing up now. WV is the 43rd state to join the
CoCoRaHS effort and will now provide us with nearly continuous coverage
from the Pacific to the Atlantic ( . . . amazing . . . ) With the
complex ranges of old mountains in WV, we'll be seeing some very
interesting rain and snow patterns there I'm sure. West Virginia has a
long and notorious tradition of flash floods. CoCoRaHS reports can be
very important in filling the gaps in the official observation networks
and providing "ground truth" to let others know how much rain is
actually reaching the ground. Good luck, and I hope hundreds of
volunteers sign up.

Anthony · « **Reply #1 on:** April 22, 2009, 07:10:24 AM »

Sign up address please?

jay_hoehn · « **Reply #2 on:** April 22, 2009, 02:13:25 PM »

Anthony,

Here you go.

http://www.cocorahs.org/Application.aspx

Jay

SlowModem · « **Reply #3 on:** April 22, 2009, 03:04:07 PM »

http://www.cocorahs.org/

W Thomas · « **Reply #4 on:** April 22, 2009, 06:08:35 PM »

Quote from: Anthony on April 22, 2009, 07:10:24 AM

Sign up address please?

Congratulations on becoming a member!! $\:D/$ $\:D/$
It's actually a lot of fun...for me anyway!

SlowModem · « **Reply #5 on:** April 22, 2009, 09:48:19 PM »

Quote from: W Thomas on April 22, 2009, 06:08:35 PM

Congratulations on becoming a member!! $\:D/$ $\:D/$
It's actually a lot of fun...for me anyway!

Yeah, you can't sleep past 7:00 am unless it hasn't been raining! (well, that's the way it's supposed to be)

W Thomas · « **Reply #6 on:** April 22, 2009, 09:59:27 PM »

Quote from: Slow Modem on April 22, 2009, 09:48:19 PM

Yeah, you can't sleep past 7:00 am unless it hasn't been raining! (well, that's the way it's supposed to be)

I have to come clean... I was a wee bit late this past weekend

I was catching up on..er trying to catch up on lost sleep...That now is considered a lost cause

I have been guilty of getting up doing the report than going right back to bed LOL!

Anthony · « **Reply #7 on:** April 23, 2009, 08:06:00 AM »

Thanks for the addresses. All signed up. Will order my guage from Ambient the first of next month. Don't want to put anything more on the credit cards. Trying to get them paid off.

wxtech · « **Reply #8 on:** April 25, 2009, 09:39:45 PM »

Welcome to CoCoRaHS Anthony, and all of West Virginia. You'll enjoy the CoCoRaHS experience. You should also consider being a county/local coordinator. You should be the expert that your neighbors turn to for help with precip reporting.
I'm a county coordinator and observer for GA-OG-1.
My 7 AM duties also include reporting to NWS as a Co-operative station observer, LXTG1.

Anthony · « **Reply #9 on:** April 26, 2009, 07:56:07 AM »

wxtech, thanks for the welcome. I have to take some time out and view the power point presentations. May do that tomorrow.

wxtech · « **Reply #10 on:** April 27, 2009, 08:25:02 AM »

The PPT presentations are the basis of the CoCoRaHS training/qualifications. It is mandatory that all observers be qualified/certified before entering precip data. Having all observers trained and certified gives credibiltiy to the CoCoRaHS data.
In person training sessions adds hands on experience using the rain gauge. All attendees should experience reading the gauge and pouring from the overflow cylinder to the measuring cylinder.
It's important to emphasize that they have to be careful not to spill a drop. You won't know how much rain water was lost if it was spilled before measuring it. I train using a bowl as a catch basin in case of overflows.
I always explain how the 4" rain gauge "magnifies" the rain amount by a factor of 10. One inch of water in the inner cylinder is actually only 0.10 inch of rainfall. Inexperienced observers may look at the gauge and see an inch of water and erroneously report one inch of rain data.

Anthony · « **Reply #11 on:** April 27, 2009, 02:33:34 PM »

Now I'm getting confused. Am I reqired to do something besides watch the power point presentations? If so what and where?

wxtech · « **Reply #12 on:** April 27, 2009, 07:51:46 PM »

Online training is sufficient. However, you should check with your regional/state coordinators to be sure.

Anthony · « **Reply #13 on:** May 13, 2009, 08:00:17 AM »

Finally got the CoCoRaHS rain guage mounted yesterday. Data can be viewed as Station Id WV-RL-2.

Maybe putting up the rain guage will make the rain stop for awhile????

SlowModem · « **Reply #14 on:** May 13, 2009, 08:05:08 AM »

Quote from: Anthony on May 13, 2009, 08:00:17 AM

Finally got the CoCoRaHS rain guage mounted yesterday. Data can be viewed as Station Id WV-RL-2.

Maybe putting up the rain guage will make the rain stop for awhile????

Like carrying an umbrella prevents rain.

Or, if you want it to rain, wash your car.

wxtech · « **Reply #15 on:** May 13, 2009, 08:46:21 AM »

Quote from: Anthony on May 13, 2009, 08:00:17 AM

Finally got the CoCoRaHS rain guage mounted yesterday. Data can be viewed as Station Id WV-RL-2.

Maybe putting up the rain guage will make the rain stop for awhile????

It's good to see your precip report. In your comments, "Overcast,Temp 52, humidity 56, dewpoint 36, winds e at 7, pressere 30.22 and steady. No WW".
What's WW?

DanS · « **Reply #16 on:** May 13, 2009, 08:50:29 AM »

Weather Warnings perhaps? Wild guess.

tomcj2 · « **Reply #17 on:** May 13, 2009, 09:19:05 AM »

Having looked at Anthony's and wxtech's reports I realize that I may have been doing it wrong this year.I have been removing n/a and typing in 0.0 ( or 0.00) on each of the four snow categories, not just the "New Snow" . There were 2 Message(s) of the Day. in December 2008 that I have re-read, but still do not fully understand; should the zeroes go everywhere, or just in the first category?

Quote

December 2008

Snow reporting -- A Change!

We are making a small change to the "Daily Precipitation" entry form.

Effective December 15, 2008 the default value for daily snowfall will be changed from 0.0" (i.e. assumes no snow) to NA (i.e. no assumption).

The reason for this change is that some observers who measure precipitation but who don't measure snow have been leaving the 0.0" snow amount. This fills our snowfall maps with incorrect information.

If you receive snowfall in the past 24 hours, please enter that amount in the "Depth of New Snow" category by replacing the NA with the appropriate value in inches and tenths. If you do not receive any snow, be sure to enter 0.0 in this field. If you enter 0.00" for your daily precipitation amount, it will automically put in a zero for snowfall.

and

Quote

December 2008

Flakes, but no accumulation

An observer from North Carolina writes: "If you physically observe snow during the 24-hr period preceding your observation, but it all melts once it hits the ground (or melts overnight), what's the best way to report in CoCoRaHS that the snow actually occurred and that it may have contributed some to total water in the gage?"

Great Question! Here's our answer: "If snow falls but all melts on contact with the ground without ever reaching a depth of 0.1" or greater, then report "T" for "New Snow" and 0.0" for the total depth of snow on the ground."

Anthony · « **Reply #18 on:** May 14, 2009, 07:56:44 AM »

Quote from: wxtech on May 13, 2009, 08:46:21 AM

Quote from: Anthony on May 13, 2009, 08:00:17 AM
Finally got the CoCoRaHS rain guage mounted yesterday. Data can be viewed as Station Id WV-RL-2.

Maybe putting up the rain guage will make the rain stop for awhile????

It's good to see your precip report. In your comments, "Overcast,Temp 52, humidity 56, dewpoint 36, winds e at 7, pressere 30.22 and steady. No WW".
What's WW?

No weather watches or warnings.

wxtech · « **Reply #19 on:** May 14, 2009, 07:59:26 AM »

Quote from: Anthony on May 14, 2009, 07:56:44 AM

Quote from: wxtech on May 13, 2009, 08:46:21 AM
Quote from: Anthony on May 13, 2009, 08:00:17 AM
Finally got the CoCoRaHS rain guage mounted yesterday. Data can be viewed as Station Id WV-RL-2.

Maybe putting up the rain guage will make the rain stop for awhile????

It's good to see your precip report. In your comments, "Overcast,Temp 52, humidity 56, dewpoint 36, winds e at 7, pressere 30.22 and steady. No WW".
What's WW?
No weather watches or warnings.

Thanks Atnhony

Quote from: tomcj2 on May 13, 2009, 09:19:05 AM

Having looked at Anthony's and wxtech's reports I realize that I may have been doing it wrong this year.I have been removing n/a and typing in 0.0 ( or 0.00) on each of the four snow categories, not just the "New Snow" . There were 2 Message(s) of the Day. in December 2008 that I have re-read, but still do not fully understand; should the zeroes go everywhere, or just in the first category?

Tom,
I have asked for clarification.
Al

Anthony · « **Reply #20 on:** May 14, 2009, 08:03:39 AM »

I think I will start making clearer when there are not warnings in effect. Will avoid alot of confusion that way.

If you are looking for a county cordinator for raleigh county. I might possble be interested.

wxtech · « **Reply #21 on:** May 14, 2009, 08:31:42 AM »

Quote from: Anthony on May 14, 2009, 08:03:39 AM

I think I will start making clearer when there are not warnings in effect. Will avoid alot of confusion that way.

If you are looking for a county cordinator for raleigh county. I might possble be interested.

I guess I was the only one who couldn't decypher "ww".

I've got nothing to do with WV CoCoRaHS. I just think you're probably the best qualified to be the county coordinator. Go to the WV State Coordinators page to volunteer:
http://www.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=coord_WV
I'm just the county coordinator of Oglethorpe County, Ga. and a CoCoRaHS observer GA-OG-1.

Anthony · « **Reply #22 on:** May 15, 2009, 08:30:04 AM »

The county of Raleigh and the entire state of WV would me a great place to have a bunch of CoCoRaHS observers. Especially the way the storm train over and around the mountains. But getting people involved is another story. Maybe it's time for me to go back to the local newspapper and promote CoCoRaHS a little? And see if I can motivate some people to join.

wxtech · « **Reply #23 on:** May 15, 2009, 09:09:48 AM »

Quote from: Anthony on May 15, 2009, 08:30:04 AM

The county of Raleigh and the entire state of WV would me a great place to have a bunch of CoCoRaHS observers. Especially the way the storm train over and around the mountains. But getting people involved is another story. Maybe it's time for me to go back to the local newspapper and promote CoCoRaHS a little? And see if I can motivate some people to join.

Now you're thinking like a coordinator! Find people who already take rain measurments. Farmers, teachers, lots of people want to know how much rain they get. Some people just like to record information daily.
People can be persuaded to join but those who aren't interesed themsleves will be the ones who will quit.
Newspapers are looking for good local stories. The fact that you're an original WV CoCoRaHS Observer is a good story. Many others will follow you. What you're doing with your wx station/web site/forum advice/rain obs is great material for a news story.
Your newspapers may not know about CoCoRaHS yet. Inform them.
This quote from Nolan Doesken, founder of CoCoRaHS:
*Welcome, West Virginia* Speaking of gaps, W.Virginia had been a void on our national map until two weeks ago But since formally joining, more than 55 new volunteers have signed up and half have started to report. There weren’t enough yet to capture the heavy rains that caused their extreme flooding last weekend, but hopefully we will get there. If you have friends or family in beautiful West Virginia, please encourage them to sign up.

Anthony · « **Reply #24 on:** May 16, 2009, 07:50:10 AM »

Our local paper done a story on we about a year ago on my backyard weather station and web site and also my ham radio operations. Maybe is't about time for a bump on the story. The link to my story is somewhere here on the forum (I think). But I don't know how long storys like that remain available. I do know that several other newspapers in the state picked up the stoy on the AP wire.

News:

Author Topic: May 1st for WV (Read 12618 times)