When it comes to weather and volunteers, the best in the West do their science in the name of Colorado State University, according to the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities.
Nolan Doesken, who now is Colorado’s state climatologist, based at CSU, founded the — better known as CoCoRaHS — in 1997.
His good idea grew wings, and today has about 15,000 volunteers in 50 states and Canada who collect rain, hail or snow in gauges at their homes and log the .
“Its unique approach to data collection and research has made it one of the most innovative citizen science programs in the nation,” the association stated in announcing the award.
CoCoRaHS will be up against other regional winners for the national at the APLU’s national meeting in Denver in November.
The title comes with a trophy and a $20,000 prize made possible by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
The data weather volunteers collect has turned into real solutions, helping predict flooding on the Missouri River, track West Nile virus outbreaks and verify satellite data on crops.
Doesken said his volunteers range in age from kindergartners to people in their 90s.
“In addition to the general public, we’re now working with water utilities, school districts, conservation districts, extension offices, dozens of universities nationwide, the National Weather Service, the National Climatic Data Center, the USDA and other federal and state agencies – all because of a common denominator of the importance of accurately tracking precipitation,” he stated in a media release.
“It affects all of us.”
