The Wisconsin State Climatology Office is wrapping up a statewide roadshow aimed at connecting complex climate data with the lived experiences of local residents.
The initiative aims to address the state’s highly variable weather, which can see massive snowstorms in March followed by weeks of heavy rain. Climatologists emphasize that standard weather stations at major airports leave large geographic gaps, making volunteer data essential for understanding how the climate affects specific industries like agriculture and land conservation.
“It’s really important for us to have a dense network… we’d be missing a lot of crucial information about what’s happening in the places in between those big airports,” says Amanda Latham, climate outreach specialist with the Wisconsin State Climatology Office.
Beyond tracking trends, the feedback is already leading to the development of practical resources, such as a maple sap flow tool and specialized forecasting for wild rice farmers. As the state moves into a wet spring, officials are encouraging citizens to join the CoCoRaHS network as volunteer rainfall reporters.
“We know rainfall is so localized,” Latham explains. “I’m sure a lot of us have had a rainstorm come through and you get an inch of rain where your neighbor down the street gets a half inch.”
Sign up today: https://www.cocorahs.org/
