As the “April showers” season begins, local citizen scientists are proving that high-tech radar is no match for a dedicated neighbor with a rain gauge.
David Paulson, a volunteer with the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS), is helping to provide the boots on the ground data that professional meteorologists rely on to verify their forecasts.
For Paulson, who also monitors local rivers and storm drains, the value of the program lies in documenting how drastically precipitation varies across small distances. He notes that while radar can estimate rainfall, it often misses the nuances of a localized downpour or a sudden hail event.
Measuring hail, for instance, requires a hands-on approach: volunteers collect samples to measure diameter and estimate ground coverage, as the standard rain gauge is primarily designed for liquid and frozen precipitation.
Beyond the science, Paulson finds deep personal satisfaction in knowing his daily routine contributes to a larger cause.
“I find value in collecting data that will do other people good,” Paulson tells Mid-West Farm Report, noting that the information is used by a plethora of industries from agriculture to climatology. “The more dense the points on the ground are, they get a much better idea of how well they are with their accurate… forecasts and where they can go from there.”
As Wisconsin enters a busy week of predicted showers, Paulson and his fellow volunteers will be out between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. to ensure their 24-hour readings remain consistent. With the “Rain Gauge Rally” now underway through the month of April, the network is looking to expand its reach, hoping that more residents will realize that contributing to climate science is, as Paulson puts it, “not rocket science.”
