Good evening.

First a warm welcome to all the CoCoRaHS newcomers over the past few
weeks.  It has been great to see dozens of new volunteers signing up in
northern New England and quite a few out in California and other parts
of the country as well.  Gradually we keep filling in the gaps.

If you are new to CoCoRaHS and have not been contacted and need any help
getting started, just let us know.


Climate variety

Tonight it is as cold in Florida as it is here in northern Colorado.
Good luck  to all you Florida farmers trying to save your crops.  We're
pulling for you.

Last year this time we had already totaled over 40" of snowfall here in
Fort Collins, CO, but this year there's been almost nothing.  Meanwhile
the mountains to our immediate west are getting one snow after another.
Last year they could scarcely buy a good snow.   The lake effect snows
have been piling up the last few days in places like Buffalo, New York
and surroundings.  But other nearby places have been missed.    And it
was great to see that my home town of Royal in east central Illinois had
a wonderful snow this past weekend of around 7" (sadly there are no
CoCoRaHS observers there)  -- and the snow fell straight down with no
wind -- quite unusual..   Furthermore, 5 days have passed and the ground
is still fresh and white.  In my youth, I would have been thrilled!
It's this wonderful, endless variety of daily weather changes and year
to year variations that keeps life interesting and somehow caught my
attention when I was only 5 years old and I've never lost interest
since.  Many of you share some of the same feelings and experiences.
Some people think we're crazy, but it's a good crazy -- I think.


Calendars -- Please -- Pretty please

I have some good news and some bad news.  The good news is that nearly
600 of the first-ever CoCoRaHS rain gauge calendars have found new
homes.  The bad news is 2400 have not and there are only 3 weeks left
before 2011.

Would you please consider purchasing a calendar to help support and
sustain the CoCoRaHS network.  Quite a few folks have told me that the
calendar is just too expensive.  I understand and I really wish I could
send every CoCoRaHS volunteer a calendar as a small token of
appreciation for all the help this year with rain and snow
measurements.   Quite frankly you deserve it.  But there are just too
many of us and it would cost over $100,000 to send everyone a calendar
(Yikes!!).

The minute you see one of these calendars and hold it in your hand,
you'll realize this is a something special.  The photos that we
volunteers helped send in are nothing short of spectacular -- a
combination of nature and the odd things that happen with a plastic rain
gauge perched outdoors.   Maybe we'll try this again, but as I look at
the calendar it's just hard to imagine that we'll ever do much better.

So please think about ordering one.  Better yet, don't think about it --
just do it.  $13.75 isn't that much all things considered and It will
help CoCoRaHS a lot.

Here is the direct link to order a calendar and have it shipped to your
home or as a gift to someone else.

http://www.weatheryourway.com/cocorahs/cal2011coco.htm

If you'd prefer, this is also an opportunity to make a donation to our
annual "Five for CoCoRaHS" campaign.  For a donation of $30 or more
we'll send you a calendar.

http://www.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=2010yearend


Snow times

OK, back to what CoCoRaHS is all about -- tracking precipitation.  There
is no way around it.  Measuring snow is not as easy as measuring rain.
Going outside to take measurements at this time of year is more a chore
than a pleasure for some of us -- cold, dark, slippery  -- and did I
mention it's dark and cold?  But knowing how much snow fell and how much
water it contains and how much older snow and ice is still on the ground
from previous storms matters to a lot of us.  There are very, very few
sources of snowfall and snow water content data, and CoCoRaHS is helping
a whole lot.

Here is a "brief" summary and reminder about how to measure snow.  It's
almost identical to the message I sent out this time last year, but
consider it a reminder -- optional reading but useful if you're
uncertain about how to do the measurements and reports.

Also, as you consider the prospects of snow and the challenges it
presents  -- and how cold, dark and potentially slippery it can be at 7
AM -- please keep in mind that you are a volunteer.  You may want to
measure snow but you don't have to.  All of us are a little older than
we used to be and it just isn't worth risking a slip and fall just to
get a snowfall or ice measurement.  Of course your data are appreciated,
but your health is more important.  So don't take any unnecessary
risks.  A reasonable option for some of us is to bring our rain gauges
inside and let the younger and more agile observers carry the team for
the next few months.  Then, when the rains come back next spring, you
can start reporting again.

Measuring snow and ice -- a quick review (well, not too quick)

As the snow has been flying, so have the questions about how to measure
it.  Many of you are doing this for the first time (thanks!!).  So it's
time for our annual "Snow Measurement Review".
The best thing to do first is take a look at the daily precipitation
entry form and make sure you know what each item means.  Once you have
that figured out, then you can confidently measure and report winter
precipitation.

Here are a few tips for each of the entries we make on the CoCoRaHS
"Daily Precipitation Report Form"

"Rain and Melted Snow"
That is the water content of the precipitation that has fallen in your
gauge -- rain, snow, freezing rain, sleet or any combination. You'll
need to remove the funnel and inner cylinder if frozen precipitation is
expected. Otherwise, the funnel clogs up and the snow spills out
(bummer)! Or worse yet, water will collect in the inner tube, freeze and
then crack the tube and you're out of the CoCoRaHS business.  Not good.

After snow and ice have accumulated in your outer cylinder, then you
will need to MELT it so you can pour that water and measure the content
in the inner cylinder (just like rain). A quick way is to add a measured
amount of warm water to melt the snow -- AND REMEMBER to subtract that
amount from the total to get the correct reading. Some people use their
microwave -- but I've seen a few distorted melted gauges.  They're ugly.

Another way to measure is to WEIGH your rain gauge outer cylinder.
Weighing is much quicker and easier -- if you happen to have a good
kitchen or laboratory scales that reads to the nearest whole or half
gram.   We describe that method in a message sent in late 2008
http://www.cocorahs.org/Media/docs/TheCatch_2008-12-30.pdf

There are situations where your gauge will not catch and accurately
measure the moisture from snow.  Wind driven snow (traveling nearly
horizontally) may deflect around and over your gauge and not land
inside.  If you feel that your gauge measurement is not accurate,
mention this in your observation notes.  Then take a core sample as
described below and use that value instead for your daily precipitation
amount.

"Observation Notes"
Measuring snow can be tough, but if you can describe briefly the weather
conditions you've observed it will help us interpret your data.   If
your snow observation is problematic, just describe it in your notes.
Here is an example from an observer in South Dakota last year:  "Bad
blizzard in progress. Emptied gauge at noon on Wednesday before
precipitation turned to snow, had 0.27" then. Got all our pickups stuck.
Power out and on generators. Snow depth an estimate only. Drifts are so
variable it's hard to know what is average."              So while this
observer may not have made a precise measurement, we had a good idea of
what was going on.  Here's another from eastern Colorado.  "This is one
of the only times we have had no wind so could get a really good
measurement."       Your remarks are worth a lot.  Don't hold back.

"Depth of new snow in inches to the nearest tenth"
If possible, have a snow measurement surface planned ahead of time in an
area of your yard where the snow typically lands and stays reasonably
level.  Having a white board or white plastic surface (called a snow
measurement board) in a representative area makes it easier to measure
the accumulation of new snow to the nearest 0.1". If you only have a
ruler that shows fractions (1/8, 1/4, etc) then convert the readings to
decimals.  1/4" for example should be reported as 0.3" (or 0.2" if it's
just slightly less than 1/4)  We have a fraction conversion table under
"Things to know about Rain, Hail and Snow"
http://www.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=snow

Mark the spot  where you placed your snow measurement board with a flag
or pole so you don't lose it when it snows.   The "Depth of new snow" is
the amount of snow and/or ice pellets (sleet) that fell and accumulated
during the past 24 hours. Remember to report the maximum accumulation of
new snow that was observed prior to melting, settling or redistribution
by the wind.  There is a great example of this in our online snow
measurement training slide show.  Getting a good measure of the maximum
accumulation may require doing a quick measurement during or immediately
after the snow ends and not waiting until the next morning. The snow
might melt or settle overnight.  If all the snow melts as it hits the
ground and never accumulates, then report T  (for "trace").   If it
snowed but you did not have the chance to measure it, then please type
in NA (for "not available") and add appropriate explanation in the
"Observation notes" section.

"Melted value from core to the nearest hundredth"
This is a helpful but optional field. If you are concerned that the
amount of moisture in the gauge was too low due to wind or other factors
reducing your gauge catch, or even if you're just very interested and
curious, then collect a core sample of the new snow from a
representative location where the snow accumulated uniformly.  Melt (or
weigh) the sample to measure the water content.  It is fascinating to
see that the moisture collected from the core measurement can differ
from what was in your gauge -- and sometimes by a lot.

"Depth of total snow in inches to the nearest half inch"
The total depth of snow is how much is still on the ground at your
scheduled daily observation time. This can be new snow, old snow, or a
combination of both. For example, if there was an inch of old snow on
the ground yesterday, then it snowed 3" new, but that snow settled to
just 2" by your regular observation, then your total depth would be 3".
Keep in mind that your total depth will likely be different than your
New Snow unless new snow has just fallen on previously bare ground and
has not had time to melt or settle.  If the snow depth is uneven (and it
often is) then take an average of several measurements, or find a
measurement location that is representative of the average snow depth in
your area.  For example, if your front yard and back yard are the same
size, and the average depth in your front yard is 2" but in the back
yard is 6", then report 4" for your total depth.
REMEMBER, our computer automatically enters NA for your total snow
depth. So if there is any snow on the ground be sure to type in the
amount to the nearest half inch (or whole inch if that's easier). If
there is
some snow remaining on the ground, but more than half the ground is
bare, then type in T.

"Melted value from core to the nearest hundredth"
This last data entry field is optional but very useful, especially to
hydrologists and structural engineers. It is the water content of the
total snow (the sum of both the new and any remaining old snow) on the
ground. at your scheduled time of observation.  This measurement is
typically called SWE which stands for "Snow Water Equivalent".  This is
the amount of water that would soak into the ground or run off into
streams and rivers if that snow and ice were to melt quickly. Take a
core sample of the "total snow" in a representative location, and either
melt it or weigh it to obtain the water content.

For areas where deep snow accumulates, the measurement of SWE is
cumbersome at best but very important.    Also, taking core samples of
the snow day after day may eventually leave your yard or measurement
area pitted with holes and disturbance.  Starting last year we began
"SWE Monday" where we encouraged observers to take that special
measurements just once a week.  That's easier and provides a better data
set.  If, however, you live in areas where snow accumulation is less
frequent and reliable, then take this measurement and report any day of
the week.

For more information about measuring snow?
For more thorough instructions and explanations go the CoCoRaHS website:
www.cocorahs.org and you will find a training video, a slide show and
written instructions to help you. If you need additional help, then
please contact your CoCoRaHS local coordinator and ask.  Please make use
of the CoCoRaHS website to view maps and reports of recent and past snow
events so that you can see all the great data that you and our other
volunteers are helping to collect. We can all learn a lot by examining
our data and comparing to others in our areas.

Measuring snow is tricky, especially if it's melting or being blown
around by the wind.  Don't be frustrated, perfect measurements may be
impossible.  But use your head, check your data, and you'll do very well.


Some frequently asked questions about measuring snow and some common
problems.

Many observers try to enter their measurement of new snow into the "Rain
and Melted snow" column.  For example, if they measured 2" of new snow
they try to type in 2.00" for the daily "rain and melted snow" amount.
     Don't do it that way  :-)

What do I report for my new snow amount when the snow has been melting
or settling?
If there is only 2" of new snow left when you do your 7 AM measurement,
but you know there was closer to 4" there yesterday before the melting
and settling began, then report 4.0" for your new snow amount.  For the
total depth of snow on ground, report what you measure at 7 AM  -- in
this case, 2.0" (assuming the ground had previously been bare)


What if I get freezing rain?  How do we measure that?
Freezing rain is precipitation that falls as rain but then immediately
freezes on contact with the ground and/or elevated surfaces.  The frozen
moisture is called "glaze".  Report freezing rain just like rain -- it
is NOT SNOW.  But you'll need to melt the ice to get an accurate
reading.  Be very careful on the ice.

It is very, very useful to report the thickness of the ice that
accumulates on branches or wires.  This is called "ice accretion" or
"coating".   An elevated aluminum strip could  be used for measuring
freezing rain accretion. Use your measuring stick to measure the
vertical depth of ice accretion on the surface of the aluminum strip. If
a metal strip is not available, other common metal surfaces can be used
such as metal mailboxes, metal fences, and metal railings. Measure the
vertical depth of accretion atop whichever horizontal surface(s) you
use.  Exposed tree branches will suffice, but remember to measure the
ice accretion, or vertical depth of the ice from the edge of the branch
outward. If one side of the branch has a greater thickness of ice than
another side, simply take an average. Once you have taken measurements
from five or so different surfaces, take an average of all of your
measurements, and report it in tenths of an inch.  Enter that amount in
the "Comments" section of your report.  This type of quantitative
information about ice buildup has not been measured at most weather
stations.  It is extremely useful data for a wide variety of applications.


What if we receive rain and snow on the same day?  Then what?
Mixed or changing precipitation types are common in some parts of the
country.  Report both the rain and the water content of snow that landed
in your gauge as your daily precipitation amount.   Then measure the
amount of new snow that accumulated (prior to melting) and report that
as your daily snowfall amount.  If you can, take a core sample of the
snow to get a water content of snow.  Then you can infer how much fell
as rain and how much fell as snow.


Wouldn't it be helpful to have more than one gauge for winter measurements?
Yes indeed.  I actually have four outer cylinders to make snow
measurement quicker and easier.  I keep extra ones indoors.  At 7 AM I
go out to retrieve my gauge and replace it with a clean, empty cylinder
so I don't have to go out again.  I also have two extra cylinders for
taking the core sample of fresh snow and the core sample of total snow
on the ground.  Then I bring them all in together and do all the
measurements at the same time.  Extra outer cylinders can be ordered
online from WeatherYourWay.com for a reasonable price.

I've heard that 10 inches of snow equals 1 inch of water.  Is that
always true?
A typical wet snow or snow with dense, small crystals will often have
between 0.80 and 1.00" of water for every 10 inches of new snow.  But
the "density" (water content) of snow can vary greatly.  It is possibly
in very dry, fluffy snows to get as little as 0.10 to 0.30" of water
from 10" of new snow.  Also, in extremely wet snows, values as high as
2.00" of water from 10" of new snow is possible.  All you have to do is
walk or drive in the snow -- or shovel it -- and you'll immediately have
a good idea if the density is high, low or medium.  That's why we take
separate measurements of the snowfall accumulation and the water content.


Can I just measure the snowfall and not worry about the water content?
Some CoCoRaHS volunteers only measure the accumulation of new snow and
the total depth of snow on the ground.  We really appreciate also
knowing the water content, since it can be so variable.  If you do
report only the snow depth, then remember to type in "NA" ("for not
available") for the daily precipitation amount.  If you report snow but
you just leave the "Daily Precipitation" box blank (0.00") the computer
will give you an error and you won't be allowed to report. So just type
in NA for the "rain and melted snow" and then type in the new snow
amount and the computer will be happy.

Do I have to report if it didn't snow today?
Knowing that it didn't snow is important. Please report your zeros if
you can.

If no new snow fell but there is old snow still on the ground, should I
report that?
Yes.  Snowcover, even old snow, has a huge effect on the climate.
Whenever you have old snow on the ground, try to report the average
depth and the water content of that snow each day.  While it is
fascinating watching snow fall and accumulate, it is also very
interesting watching it settle, melt and disappear.

What if the wind is so strong that the snow is badly drifted?
Wind-drifted snow is very difficult to measure accurately.  Do your best
to come up with an average accumulation of new snow -- and then take a
core sample at a point with average accumulation to get a water
content.  Check the numbers to see if they appear reasonable  -- and
also mention your challenging plight in our "comments"

What if it's too cold, slippery and I just don't feel like going outside?
Well, that happens to the best of us, especially in these dark days of
midwinter.  The good news is that you're a volunteer.  If you don't feel
like it or if it's unsafe, don't do it.  But if you can take winter
measurements, I assure you they are appreciated.  Very few weather
stations are able to measure snow and ice so your CoCoRaHS reports are
extremely useful.

Finally, don't forget to use the "Significant Weather Report" to send in
reports of snow, sleet or freezing rain that you think might be
significant to travelers, forecasters and anyone out and about in the
winter.

If you really read all the way through all these instructions you are
AMAZING.   Good job.


A grandson

Last week our daughter gave birth to our first grandchild -- a cute
little boy.  I know that many of you are already grandparents, so you
know the joy already, but it's a first for us.  Thanks for letting me
share our good news.


The farm  -- low priority these days

Sorry I haven't shared much news from the farm lately.  In this case, no
news is good news.  Things are pretty much put to rest and other parts
of life are taking priority now.  My wife did find the energy to make a
big new compost pile today, so that's good.  We're still eating fresh
tomatoes that we picked the night of the first freeze back in October.
They conveniently waited until Thanksgiving to ripen and they taste
surprisingly good still.  But they're on their last legs and won't last
until Christmas.  One of our barn cats got sick and died, but about that
time a "friend" came over and dropped off another, so equilibrium
prevails.   I can hear Angel (the great Great Pyrenees) even as we speak
fending off all potential nighttime 4-legged invaders.  So the world is
safe.  She's doing well and has settled in with us now that our son
works up in North Dakota. and couldn't take her with him.

Finally, remember our (my) goal of reaching 10,000 daily reports back in
late October.  We fell short but we did come close/  A few reports are
still trickling in.

October 25, 2010  9247 daily reports plus 403 multiday reports for a
total of 9650
October 26, 2010  9351 daily reports plus 273 multiday reports for a
total of 9624
October 27, 2010  9072 daily reports plus 226 multiday reports for a
total of 9298

So we gave it a good run!  Maybe next year.

Good night and best wishes at this festive but sometimes stressful time
of year.  Do well and I'll talk to you soon again.

Nolan Doesken
Colorado State University

The National Weather Service has opened up a TOLL FREE Hotline for reporting
Severe Weather. This Hotline is for the Public as well as Trained SKYWARN
Spotters.

YOU MUST READ THE ENTIRE POST PRIOR TO REPORTING.
The number is posted at the bottom of this notice.

The National Weather Service encourages everyone to report severe weather.

HOW TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER USING THIS SYSTEM

in order to use this system you must know your,

1: Latitude Longitude by Degrees and Minutes

2: Or Zip Code

If either of these two items are not available then you must leave a very
detailed voice message at the end as to your location

What State are you in,
What County are you in,
What City are you in or closest to,
What is the nearest cross street, highway or interstate,
What mile post,
What is a well known Landmark,
What direction is the storm or event from your location
Is it still occurring,
what direction is it moving I.E. North, South, East, or West.

Be as detailed, in your report and location as possible IDENTIFY YOUR SELF WITH
YOUR NAME PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS AND CoCoRaHS Station Number
When Prompted to leave a Voice Message.

When Prompted to leave a Voice Message, Remain Calm. Make sure you are in a safe
location. The NWS would much rather not
receive a report if it puts your safety in jeopardy.
YOUR SAFETY COMES FIRST!!!

Be as descriptive as possible, include thickness of tree limbs, rainfall
amounts and any damage or weather occurrence you feel is important to report.

SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING GUIDE LINES FOR WASHINGTON STATE

WESTERN WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debris being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

TORNADO, WATERSPOUT, FUNNEL CLOUD, WALL CLOUD -

Location, time, and direction of movement. Is it still visible? Watch for
rotation in the cloud(s). Any damage?

HAIL - Pea-sized or larger. Any damage?

LIGHTNING - Frequent (4 or more per minute) cloud-to-ground lightning inforested
areas.

DAMAGING WINDS - Trees/power lines knocked down, damage to homes, etc. If you
have an anemometer, report any sustained winds over 35 MPH or gusts over 50 mph.
You Can also use the Beaufort Scale for an estimate. Note: sustained winds are a
one
minute average.

HEAVY RAIN - One-half (0.50) inch in one hour. Two inches or more in 24 hours or
less. Has it ended?

FLOODING - OF ANY KIND! Are waters rising or falling? Any damage, mud or rock
slides, and/or roads blocked?

SNOW - One inch accumulation or more in three hours. 4 inches in 12 hours or
less.

FREEZING PRECIPITATION - Any accumulation of sleet or freezing rain / drizzle.

POOR VISIBILITY - Reduced visibility adversely impacting transportation. Less
than one-half miles for DENSE FOG and BLOWING SNOW.
BLOWING DUST and VOLCANIC ASH. Less than 300 feet

SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

Wind: 50 mph or stronger
Hail: 3/4 inch (penny or dime size) or larger in diameter
Flooding: Any significant amount of water in normally dry areas
River Flooding: Any river rising above their normal bank level
Heavy Rain: Rain rates of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Rain greater than 1 inch in 24 hours
Heavy Snow: Call while snowing at a rate of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Call with total snow fall if >= 1 inch when the snow ends
Low Visibilities: Visibility less than 1/2 mile due to fog, dust, rain, or snow
Freezing Rain: Any freezing rain

EASTERN WASHINGTON REGION

FUNNEL CLOUD OR TORNADO
1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

HAIL
Pea-sized or larger

STRONG WINDS
30 mph+ or winds that produce any damage. Estimate using Beaufort chart.

HEAVY RAINFALL
0.50 inch in one hour - showery
1 inch in 12 hrs or 1.5 inches in 24 hrs – steady rain

FLOODING
Of any kind...including possible dam or levee failure. Watch for changing water
levels.

SNOW
2 inches or more – valleys
6 inches or more - mountains

MIXED PRECIPITATION
Any freezing rain or sleet

POOR VISIBILITY
One half mile or less in blowing dust or snow etc.

TRAVEL PROBLEMS DUE TO WEATHER
Conditions where poor or hazardous travel conditions observed or reported

ANY DAMAGE, INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO WEATHER
Be sure to include location, time and specific cause

SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado
Location, time and direction of movement.

Hail: Pea size or larger.

Lightning: Continuous lightning (more than 6 flashes per minute).

Heavy Rain: Half an inch or more per hour. Report heavy rain even if you are
outside a flood prone area.

Heavy Snow: Accumulations of four inches in 12 hours or one inch per hour.

Flooding: Of ANY kind, including dam or levee failure. Are waters rising or
falling?

Damaging Wind: Trees or power lines knocked down, damage to buildings, etc.
Report any wind of at least 40 mph using the Beaufort Scale.

Fog, Blowing Dust, Blowing Snow: Report initial onslaught of event when poor
visibility impacts travel.

Freezing Rain: Report initial onslaught of event when it impacts travel.
Mudslides: Any event causing damage or road closure.

NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOT LINE 877-633-6772

CoCo Rain gauge folks

California

Forecasters are watching a series of warm, wet Pacific storms heading
into California and then on into the Central and Northern Rockies.
Large rainfall totals are possible in CA over the next few days.   Today
(Saturday) 340 California CoCoRaHS precipitation reports were
submitted.  Already there were many reports of over 2" of rain.  Much
more is possible in the coming days and some areas may experience
flooding.  This is our chance to collectively really make a difference
as we contribute to better weather and streamflow prediction and storm
documentation.  Let's hope for 500 reports each day in CA for the next
several days to help document this impressive storm.  Also remember to
submit "Significant Weather Reports" any time of the day or night to
report heavy precipitation, flooding, heavy snow, or other current
weather of local significance.


Albuquerque?

Wait long enough and we all seem to get our chance to be the wettest
part of the country.  Yesterday it was the Albuquerque, NM area where
cold rain and wet snow fell adding up to nearly 2" of water content.  We
received some photos of conglomerate snow flakes bigger than golf balls
tumbling down.  Beautiful!


Upstate New York?

Wow!  I ran a quick "Total Precipitation Report" and found that several
CoCoRaHS stations in New York state have received over 60" of snowfall
since December 1 and a couple places had over 80".  We can thank Lake
Ontario and Lake Erie for sharing their moisture to help make some of
these near record early winter snowfall totals possible.  And thanks to
you adventurous winter weather watchers for measuring it.


Central Illinois

My home county (Champaign County) is still blanketed by several inches
of snow is are other parts of the Midwest.  Snow cover has persisted now
for 2 weeks straight.  At least another week of cold and potentially
snowy weather ahead.  Kind of makes me wish I was a grade school paper
boy again.  Tips and Christmas presents were always good when the ground
was snow covered.


Florida and surrounds

It looks like you survived another arctic onslaught this week  Parts of
Florida and the Southeast have been really this fall and winter
http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html
Remember, if you are experiencing drought and its impacts, please submit
CoCoRaHS "Drought Impact Reports" when conditions warrant.


Calendars

Thanks to all of you who have purchased our first-ever CoCoRaHS rain
gauge calendar.  I know it doesn't sound like much -- maybe even a bit
hokey -- but this is a really fine calendar -- top notch.  It contains
48 fabulous photos of our CoCoRaHS rain gauges in action taken by fellow
CoCoRaHS volunteers across the country.  Quite frankly, it's
spectacular.  It's not too late to order, and proceeds will help our
network.  Go to the CoCoRaHS homepage and you'll see the link to the
calendar

http://www.cocorahs.org


End of Year Fundraiser

The generosity of more than 2000 CoCoRaHS volunteers and sponsors helped
keep CoCoRaHS rolling through some lean times this year.  I can't thank
you enough for your help.  We'll have our "Five For CoCoRaHS" banner
posted through January 3rd if you would like to support the CoCoRaHS cause.

http://www.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=2010yearend


Brown and Dusty

Storms are still skipping us in Northern Colorado this winter.  Our
horse corral is bare and dusty.  Our Great Pyrenees are wishing for
snow, but our chickens and barnyard cats aren't complaining at all and
neither are travelers as highway driving conditions here east of the
Rockies will be good for the days leading up to Christmas.  Many of you
will be traveling, this next week so please drive safely and have a
wonderful time with family and friends. Share a few CoCoRaHS stories
while you're at it and maybe we'll recruit a few more volunteers.  :-)


Turning the corner

Hard to believe but we've almost reached the winter solstice.  This year
we have a special treat -- a total lunar eclipse tomorrow night (Monday,
Dec 21, 2010)

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/17dec_solsticeeclipse/

The current forecast is for cloudy skies here and over much of the
western U.S. but maybe the forecast will be wrong for at least a few
hours.  Please go out and enjoy this phenomenon  From here on out, the
days (daylight hours) will be getting longer again.


Thank you so much for your interest and participation in CoCoRaHS.  Do
your best to have a good week at this festive, special but often
stressful time of year.

Nolan Doesken
Colorado State University

The National Weather Service has opened up a TOLL FREE Hotline for reporting
Severe Weather. This Hotline is for the Public as well as Trained SKYWARN
Spotters.

YOU MUST READ THE ENTIRE POST PRIOR TO REPORTING.
The number is posted at the bottom of this notice.

The National Weather Service encourages everyone to report severe weather.

HOW TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER USING THIS SYSTEM

in order to use this system you must know your,

1: Latitude Longitude by Degrees and Minutes

2: Or Zip Code

If either of these two items are not available then you must leave a very
detailed voice message at the end as to your location

What State are you in,
What County are you in,
What City are you in or closest to,
What is the nearest cross street, highway or interstate,
What mile post,
What is a well known Landmark,
What direction is the storm or event from your location
Is it still occurring,
what direction is it moving I.E. North, South, East, or West.

Be as detailed, in your report and location as possible IDENTIFY YOUR SELF WITH
YOUR NAME PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS AND CoCoRaHS Station Number
When Prompted to leave a Voice Message.

When Prompted to leave a Voice Message, Remain Calm. Make sure you are in a safe
location. The NWS would much rather not
receive a report if it puts your safety in jeopardy.
YOUR SAFETY COMES FIRST!!!

Be as descriptive as possible, include thickness of tree limbs, rainfall
amounts and any damage or weather occurrence you feel is important to report.

SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING GUIDE LINES FOR WASHINGTON STATE

WESTERN WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debris being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

TORNADO, WATERSPOUT, FUNNEL CLOUD, WALL CLOUD -

Location, time, and direction of movement. Is it still visible? Watch for
rotation in the cloud(s). Any damage?

HAIL - Pea-sized or larger. Any damage?

LIGHTNING - Frequent (4 or more per minute) cloud-to-ground lightning inforested
areas.

DAMAGING WINDS - Trees/power lines knocked down, damage to homes, etc. If you
have an anemometer, report any sustained winds over 35 MPH or gusts over 50 mph.
You Can also use the Beaufort Scale for an estimate. Note: sustained winds are a
one
minute average.

HEAVY RAIN - One-half (0.50) inch in one hour. Two inches or more in 24 hours or
less. Has it ended?

FLOODING - OF ANY KIND! Are waters rising or falling? Any damage, mud or rock
slides, and/or roads blocked?

SNOW - One inch accumulation or more in three hours. 4 inches in 12 hours or
less.

FREEZING PRECIPITATION - Any accumulation of sleet or freezing rain / drizzle.

POOR VISIBILITY - Reduced visibility adversely impacting transportation. Less
than one-half miles for DENSE FOG and BLOWING SNOW.
BLOWING DUST and VOLCANIC ASH. Less than 300 feet

SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

Wind: 50 mph or stronger
Hail: 3/4 inch (penny or dime size) or larger in diameter
Flooding: Any significant amount of water in normally dry areas
River Flooding: Any river rising above their normal bank level
Heavy Rain: Rain rates of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Rain greater than 1 inch in 24 hours
Heavy Snow: Call while snowing at a rate of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Call with total snow fall if >= 1 inch when the snow ends
Low Visibilities: Visibility less than 1/2 mile due to fog, dust, rain, or snow
Freezing Rain: Any freezing rain

EASTERN WASHINGTON REGION

FUNNEL CLOUD OR TORNADO
1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

HAIL
Pea-sized or larger

STRONG WINDS
30 mph+ or winds that produce any damage. Estimate using Beaufort chart.

HEAVY RAINFALL
0.50 inch in one hour - showery
1 inch in 12 hrs or 1.5 inches in 24 hrs – steady rain

FLOODING
Of any kind...including possible dam or levee failure. Watch for changing water
levels.

SNOW
2 inches or more – valleys
6 inches or more - mountains

MIXED PRECIPITATION
Any freezing rain or sleet

POOR VISIBILITY
One half mile or less in blowing dust or snow etc.

TRAVEL PROBLEMS DUE TO WEATHER
Conditions where poor or hazardous travel conditions observed or reported

ANY DAMAGE, INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO WEATHER
Be sure to include location, time and specific cause

SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado
Location, time and direction of movement.

Hail: Pea size or larger.

Lightning: Continuous lightning (more than 6 flashes per minute).

Heavy Rain: Half an inch or more per hour. Report heavy rain even if you are
outside a flood prone area.

Heavy Snow: Accumulations of four inches in 12 hours or one inch per hour.

Flooding: Of ANY kind, including dam or levee failure. Are waters rising or
falling?

Damaging Wind: Trees or power lines knocked down, damage to buildings, etc.
Report any wind of at least 40 mph using the Beaufort Scale.

Fog, Blowing Dust, Blowing Snow: Report initial onslaught of event when poor
visibility impacts travel.

Freezing Rain: Report initial onslaught of event when it impacts travel.
Mudslides: Any event causing damage or road closure.

NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOT LINE 877-633-6772

Greetings!!

I'm not sure how you feel about snow.  Some of us love it.  Some of us
hate it.  Some of us put up with it, but many have moved to get away
from it.  Some of us probably loved snow more until we tried to measure
it.  But it is that time of year.  Read on and you'll find a few tips on
measuring blizzard snows.  But first, some other business.


Welcome new CoCoRaHS volunteers.

We've added a few dozen CoCoRaHS recruits since I last wrote in mid
December..  Rain gauge greetings and a Merry Christmas to all of you.  I
hear that some of you even found a rain gauge nicely packaged and
wrapped under your tree.  That brings back some memories.  I was a
teenager when I first saw the 4" diameter clear plastic rain gauge in a
hardware store in Urbana, IL back in about 1968.  It cost $25 -- a lot
of money for then, but I dug into my paper route money and bought one
for my dad.  That, and the iron dachshund foot scraper were some of the
most appreciated gifts.


The eclipse

I hope some of you got to see the lunar eclipse last Monday night.
Skies cleared here at just the right time.and the eclipse was wonderful
-- that is, of course, if you could stay awake.  I managed to see the
early stages and then dropped off into deep sleep and missed the rest.


California Storm Quickly Forgotten -- replaced by East Coast blizzard.

Weather news changes so quickly.  Just a few days ago it was the
California floods we were tracking.  436 Californians sent in CoCoRaHS
rainfall reports from Dec 16-22.   21 of these observers received over
10" from the week-long deluge and dozens more got between 8 and 10
inches.  Areas near Los Angeles were especially hard hit.

Now the weather news is coming from the other coast.  The storm
developed rapidly on Christmas day bringing snow to parts of the
Southeast and then raced up the East Coast Sunday night and Monday
morning leaving a fairly narrow but very heavy band of snow that
clobbered New York City.  We don't have many observers in the City or on
Long Island, but we have a good number in New Jersey and the New England
states.  Thanks for the wintry heroics that some of you endured to get
good measurements.   We had over 1100 hundred snow reports Monday
morning.  Good job.

Where will the next weather news come from?  Will it be another snow
storm in Seattle or wicked cold in the Rockies, or winter tornadoes in
the South or an ice storm somewhere in the Midwest or southern plains?
Wait a few days and we'll find out -- and CoCoRaHS will help tell the story.


A Beautiful Calendar

If Santa forgot to bring you or your office a calendar this year, then I
have a suggestion.  I know where you can get a  unique, eye-catching,
conversation-starting calendar featuring CoCoRaHS rain gauges in
action.  Now what could be better than that :-)

But seriously, if you like weather, geography, nature, seasons and
rainfall measurements, you'll really love this calendar.  We realize
that shipping costs seem high -- over $4.  But that means you'll get the
calendar shipped quickly and securely.  Please order today.  Here's the
link.

http://www.weatheryourway.com/cocorahs/cal2011coco.htm


Fund raising for CoCoRaHS.

We have one week to go to wrap up our year-end fund raiser.  It's been
fairly slow so far and, to be honest, I don't like asking for financial
contributions.  I'd much rather talk about the weather.  After all,
CoCoRaHS participants already share a wonderful gift -- the gift of time
-- as we check our gauges and report our data.  But I have learned that
many people truly love to help important causes.  Donations in 2010
helped CoCoRaHS through some challenging months.  A business sponsor
even supported the CoCoRaHS rain gauge contest at the American
Meteorological Society Annual Meeting last January.

As 2010 comes to an end, please support your favorite non profits if you
are able..  There are many out there providing critical support to meet
essential human, animal or environmental needs.  Then, if you'd still
like to help CoCoRaHS, here's the link.

http://www.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=2010yearend

There's even an option to make a donation and get a calendar.  Your help
is truly appreciated and in 2011 we'll be working hard to thank you in
return.


Snow  Measurement tips for Blizzards and badly behaving snow.

Here in Fort Collins, we haven't had a flake of snow in over 4 weeks.
But that's not been the case for many parts of the country.   Several
thousand of us have had snow to measure and some have had a LOT!.

There are times when measuring snow and its water content are fairly
easy.  When the winds are light and temperatures are well below
freezing, it's pretty easy to stick the ruler in the snow to get the
snowfall amount and bring in the snow in the gauge to get the melted
water content.  But throw in some sleet, some freezing rain, and a whole
lot of wind and things get really messy in a hurry.  Even experienced
professionals struggle.

Here are a few tips on measuring snow under duress -- 16 tips to be
exact.  Read at your leisure or as the next snow storm approaches.   If
you have other questions, please ask.

1)  When in doubt, follow the instructions  :-)   There are many
training resources on the CoCoRaHS website to help you learn how to
measure snow and its water content.  Use them.

2)  Don't put your body and health at risk just to try to get a good
measure of snow and it's water content.  Yes, the data are important,
but so are you.  So be careful.  As easy as it may normally be to go out
and check your gauge, in a blizzard or an ice storm, it's a whole
different story.

3)  Remember that  Precipitation (water content) and Snowfall are two
separate measures.  Don't enter your snowfall amount (e.g. 3.5") as your
precipitation amount. We've had a lot of those lately so we programmed
the computer so that you can't enter the precipitation amount and the
snowfall amount to be the same.

4)  If you can't or prefer not to get a measure of the water content  --
that's OK.  For example, if you measure 12" of new snow but you didn't
melt it down to get a precipitation amount, then just enter NA for "Rain
and melted snow" and enter 12.0" for the snowfall amount.

5)  If there is a lot of blowing and drifting, you may not find any
ideal place to measure the accumulation of new snowfall.  Your favorite
snow measurement surface may be blown clear or may be buried by a
drift.   Plan to take several measurements and compute an average.
Under extreme blizzard conditions you may need to simply provide an
"educated guess" based on reasonable measures.

6)  When you compute an average, don't include the depth of the largest
drifts in your sample/

7)  If there are many buildings and roofs in your neighborhood, keep in
mind that the snow often blows off the roofs and collects below. As a
result, we sometimes see measurements that are likely too high from
densely populated neighborhoods.   Keep that in mind as you measure.

8)  When there is considerable wind, your gauge will likely catch only a
fraction of the snow that fell.  What you find in your gauge may be very
unrepresentative.  For example, there were places on the East Coast on
Monday who had snowfall amounts up around 15-20" but who had
precipitation measurements less than 0.75".  This is certainly possible
for dry snows with lighter winds, but wind-driven blizzard snows are
usually compact and dense and will likely have between  0.07" and 0.12"
for each 1.0" of new snow.

9)  If you suspect undercatch (less snow landing in your gauge than what
actually fell) then take a representative core sample of the new snow on
the ground..  Take a core at a location where the snow is an average depth.

10)  Your outer cylinder is 12" tall (unless you are an official NWS
Cooperative Observer, in which case your gauge is 24 inches tall)  You
would think that a 12" gauge would be able to handle a 12" snow but it
usually can't.  The gauge begins to fill to the top and begin spilling
after only about 6" of new snow has fallen.

11)  The rain gauge outer cylinder is for collecting snow to measure its
water content.  Do not measure the new snowfall in the outer cylinder.
Measure new snowfall on the ground at one or more locations.

12)  It is really, really handy to have an extra outer cylinder for
helping with snow measurements.  You can order an extra cylinder by
itself for a reasonable cost from www.WeatherYourWay.com and possibly
from other companies, too.  Also check with your state or regional
coordinator in case there are any spares available.

13)  Before submitting your daily report, always do a "reasonableness
check".  Does each measurement make sense and do the set of readings
match up?  For example if you measured 10" of new snow and 2.05" of
water content is that reasonable?  It might be if the snow was extremely
wet or if there was a lot of rain mixed in with the snow. If it was only
snow with a fairly typical density, then this report would be
unreasonable -- either the snowfall is too low or the water content is
too high.  While snow rarely has an exact ten to one ratio of snow to
water, that may be a good first guess for a wet or wind compacted snow.

14)  (similar to 8) Always check your snow- to-water-content ratio..
You can tell a lot about snow just by walking through it, shoveling it,
squeezing it, etc.  You may be able to make a good estimate of the water
content just by lifting a shovelful of snow.  Five inches of wet snow
may have 0.50 to 0.60" of water content and it will feel very heavy when
you lift it.  But a dry, low density snow of 5" may weigh very little
and may only contain 0.15 - 0.30" of water content or even less.

15)  Report your total depth of snow on ground.  That is a separate
measure from your daily snowfall.  Report total depth to the nearest
0.5" whenever there is any snow on the ground even if no precipitation
fell today or in recent days.  Knowing how much snow remains on the
ground and watching it settle from day to day is very helpful
information for many applications.

16) Snow depth decreases quite rapidly after recent large snowfalls.
(this is called "settling", "compaction" or "densification".   Find a
favorite representative location and measure in that same area each day
if the snow is no longer blowing and drifting   An average of several
measurements may be necessary to get a good reading of the total depth
of snow on ground.  Watch the snow settle.  And measure the water
content (Snow Water Equivalent) too.  It is fascinating to see that as
snow depth goes down, its water content may or may not go down.

OK, that' s more than enough about snow  for one evening.   I can't wait
until we start doing CoCoRaHS training "webinars" next year.  It will be
easier to demonstrate than to describe in words.


Life on the farm

Well, it was going along smoothly until one day last week we looked at
Lily (our Australian Shepherd) and noticed one side of her face was
badly swollen.  Did a horse kick her?  Did a spider bite her?  Did a
rattle snake strike?  It's just not the season for bugs or snakes .  We
tried to control the pain and swelling, but nothing worked.  She was in
so much pain she was acting crazed.  So finally we took her back to the
vet and said "please figure it out".  Turns out it was an infection from
a recently broken tooth that cracked while Lily was chewing on who knows
what.  The tooth was removed just before Christmas and they sent her
home the next day.  She moped around for a couple of days but starting
yesterday she perked up and was back to her cheerful, exuberant and
mischievous self.


Joy and Loss  -- the circle

We're enjoying new life in our family with our little grandson.  He's
already 4 weeks old. We get to babysit tomorrow night as the young
couple has there first chance to step out together for a couple of hours
since the baby was born.  It's just amazing holding that precious little
baby.

At the same time we've been getting touching notes and letters from
CoCoRaHS volunteers or family members sharing ailments, crises and
loss.   Almost every week we hear of the death of one of our CoCoRaHS
family.  When we started CoCoRaHS back in 1998, we were thinking about
scientific data, research and weather warnings.  But what we have found
is all of that an more -- many rich, warm friendships, even if only via
e-mail.  When we learn that one of us is ill or has passed on, it hurts
a lot.  We know there will be joy and sorrow, so we really do appreciate
getting those notes even though they sting.   We will plow on.  The
weather keeps marching along regardless -- as it should.


Good night -- and holiday blessings to all.

Nolan Doesken
Colorado State University

The National Weather Service has opened up a TOLL FREE Hotline for reporting
Severe Weather. This Hotline is for the Public as well as Trained SKYWARN
Spotters.

YOU MUST READ THE ENTIRE POST PRIOR TO REPORTING.
The number is posted at the bottom of this notice.

The National Weather Service encourages everyone to report severe weather.

HOW TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER USING THIS SYSTEM

in order to use this system you must know your,

1: Latitude Longitude by Degrees and Minutes

2: Or Zip Code

If either of these two items are not available then you must leave a very
detailed voice message at the end as to your location

What State are you in,
What County are you in,
What City are you in or closest to,
What is the nearest cross street, highway or interstate,
What mile post,
What is a well known Landmark,
What direction is the storm or event from your location
Is it still occurring,
what direction is it moving I.E. North, South, East, or West.

Be as detailed, in your report and location as possible IDENTIFY YOUR SELF WITH
YOUR NAME PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS AND CoCoRaHS Station Number
When Prompted to leave a Voice Message.

When Prompted to leave a Voice Message, Remain Calm. Make sure you are in a safe
location. The NWS would much rather not
receive a report if it puts your safety in jeopardy.
YOUR SAFETY COMES FIRST!!!

Be as descriptive as possible, include thickness of tree limbs, rainfall
amounts and any damage or weather occurrence you feel is important to report.

SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING GUIDE LINES FOR WASHINGTON STATE

WESTERN WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debris being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

TORNADO, WATERSPOUT, FUNNEL CLOUD, WALL CLOUD -

Location, time, and direction of movement. Is it still visible? Watch for
rotation in the cloud(s). Any damage?

HAIL - Pea-sized or larger. Any damage?

LIGHTNING - Frequent (4 or more per minute) cloud-to-ground lightning inforested
areas.

DAMAGING WINDS - Trees/power lines knocked down, damage to homes, etc. If you
have an anemometer, report any sustained winds over 35 MPH or gusts over 50 mph.
You Can also use the Beaufort Scale for an estimate. Note: sustained winds are a
one
minute average.

HEAVY RAIN - One-half (0.50) inch in one hour. Two inches or more in 24 hours or
less. Has it ended?

FLOODING - OF ANY KIND! Are waters rising or falling? Any damage, mud or rock
slides, and/or roads blocked?

SNOW - One inch accumulation or more in three hours. 4 inches in 12 hours or
less.

FREEZING PRECIPITATION - Any accumulation of sleet or freezing rain / drizzle.

POOR VISIBILITY - Reduced visibility adversely impacting transportation. Less
than one-half miles for DENSE FOG and BLOWING SNOW.
BLOWING DUST and VOLCANIC ASH. Less than 300 feet

SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

Wind: 50 mph or stronger
Hail: 3/4 inch (penny or dime size) or larger in diameter
Flooding: Any significant amount of water in normally dry areas
River Flooding: Any river rising above their normal bank level
Heavy Rain: Rain rates of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Rain greater than 1 inch in 24 hours
Heavy Snow: Call while snowing at a rate of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Call with total snow fall if >= 1 inch when the snow ends
Low Visibilities: Visibility less than 1/2 mile due to fog, dust, rain, or snow
Freezing Rain: Any freezing rain

EASTERN WASHINGTON REGION

FUNNEL CLOUD OR TORNADO
1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

HAIL
Pea-sized or larger

STRONG WINDS
30 mph+ or winds that produce any damage. Estimate using Beaufort chart.

HEAVY RAINFALL
0.50 inch in one hour - showery
1 inch in 12 hrs or 1.5 inches in 24 hrs – steady rain

FLOODING
Of any kind...including possible dam or levee failure. Watch for changing water
levels.

SNOW
2 inches or more – valleys
6 inches or more - mountains

MIXED PRECIPITATION
Any freezing rain or sleet

POOR VISIBILITY
One half mile or less in blowing dust or snow etc.

TRAVEL PROBLEMS DUE TO WEATHER
Conditions where poor or hazardous travel conditions observed or reported

ANY DAMAGE, INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO WEATHER
Be sure to include location, time and specific cause

SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado
Location, time and direction of movement.

Hail: Pea size or larger.

Lightning: Continuous lightning (more than 6 flashes per minute).

Heavy Rain: Half an inch or more per hour. Report heavy rain even if you are
outside a flood prone area.

Heavy Snow: Accumulations of four inches in 12 hours or one inch per hour.

Flooding: Of ANY kind, including dam or levee failure. Are waters rising or
falling?

Damaging Wind: Trees or power lines knocked down, damage to buildings, etc.
Report any wind of at least 40 mph using the Beaufort Scale.

Fog, Blowing Dust, Blowing Snow: Report initial onslaught of event when poor
visibility impacts travel.

Freezing Rain: Report initial onslaught of event when it impacts travel.
Mudslides: Any event causing damage or road closure.

NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOT LINE 877-633-6772

The National Weather Service has opened up a TOLL FREE Hotline for reporting
Severe Weather. This Hotline is for the Public as well as Trained SKYWARN
Spotters.

YOU MUST READ THE ENTIRE POST PRIOR TO REPORTING.
The number is posted at the bottom of this notice.

The National Weather Service encourages everyone to report severe weather.

HOW TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER USING THIS SYSTEM

in order to use this system you must know your,

1: Latitude Longitude by Degrees and Minutes

2: Or Zip Code

If either of these two items are not available then you must leave a very
detailed voice message at the end as to your location

What State are you in,
What County are you in,
What City are you in or closest to,
What is the nearest cross street, highway or interstate,
What mile post,
What is a well known Landmark,
What direction is the storm or event from your location
Is it still occurring,
what direction is it moving I.E. North, South, East, or West.

Be as detailed, in your report and location as possible IDENTIFY YOUR SELF WITH
YOUR NAME PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS AND CoCoRaHS Station Number
When Prompted to leave a Voice Message.

When Prompted to leave a Voice Message, Remain Calm. Make sure you are in a safe
location. The NWS would much rather not
receive a report if it puts your safety in jeopardy.
YOUR SAFETY COMES FIRST!!!

Be as descriptive as possible, include thickness of tree limbs, rainfall
amounts and any damage or weather occurrence you feel is important to report.

SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING GUIDE LINES FOR WASHINGTON STATE

WESTERN WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debris being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

TORNADO, WATERSPOUT, FUNNEL CLOUD, WALL CLOUD -

Location, time, and direction of movement. Is it still visible? Watch for
rotation in the cloud(s). Any damage?

HAIL - Pea-sized or larger. Any damage?

LIGHTNING - Frequent (4 or more per minute) cloud-to-ground lightning inforested
areas.

DAMAGING WINDS - Trees/power lines knocked down, damage to homes, etc. If you
have an anemometer, report any sustained winds over 35 MPH or gusts over 50 mph.
You Can also use the Beaufort Scale for an estimate. Note: sustained winds are a
one
minute average.

HEAVY RAIN - One-half (0.50) inch in one hour. Two inches or more in 24 hours or
less. Has it ended?

FLOODING - OF ANY KIND! Are waters rising or falling? Any damage, mud or rock
slides, and/or roads blocked?

SNOW - One inch accumulation or more in three hours. 4 inches in 12 hours or
less.

FREEZING PRECIPITATION - Any accumulation of sleet or freezing rain / drizzle.

POOR VISIBILITY - Reduced visibility adversely impacting transportation. Less
than one-half miles for DENSE FOG and BLOWING SNOW.
BLOWING DUST and VOLCANIC ASH. Less than 300 feet

SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

Wind: 50 mph or stronger
Hail: 3/4 inch (penny or dime size) or larger in diameter
Flooding: Any significant amount of water in normally dry areas
River Flooding: Any river rising above their normal bank level
Heavy Rain: Rain rates of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Rain greater than 1 inch in 24 hours
Heavy Snow: Call while snowing at a rate of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Call with total snow fall if >= 1 inch when the snow ends
Low Visibilities: Visibility less than 1/2 mile due to fog, dust, rain, or snow
Freezing Rain: Any freezing rain

EASTERN WASHINGTON REGION

FUNNEL CLOUD OR TORNADO
1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

HAIL
Pea-sized or larger

STRONG WINDS
30 mph+ or winds that produce any damage. Estimate using Beaufort chart.

HEAVY RAINFALL
0.50 inch in one hour - showery
1 inch in 12 hrs or 1.5 inches in 24 hrs – steady rain

FLOODING
Of any kind...including possible dam or levee failure. Watch for changing water
levels.

SNOW
2 inches or more – valleys
6 inches or more - mountains

MIXED PRECIPITATION
Any freezing rain or sleet

POOR VISIBILITY
One half mile or less in blowing dust or snow etc.

TRAVEL PROBLEMS DUE TO WEATHER
Conditions where poor or hazardous travel conditions observed or reported

ANY DAMAGE, INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO WEATHER
Be sure to include location, time and specific cause

SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado
Location, time and direction of movement.

Hail: Pea size or larger.

Lightning: Continuous lightning (more than 6 flashes per minute).

Heavy Rain: Half an inch or more per hour. Report heavy rain even if you are
outside a flood prone area.

Heavy Snow: Accumulations of four inches in 12 hours or one inch per hour.

Flooding: Of ANY kind, including dam or levee failure. Are waters rising or
falling?

Damaging Wind: Trees or power lines knocked down, damage to buildings, etc.
Report any wind of at least 40 mph using the Beaufort Scale.

Fog, Blowing Dust, Blowing Snow: Report initial onslaught of event when poor
visibility impacts travel.

Freezing Rain: Report initial onslaught of event when it impacts travel.
Mudslides: Any event causing damage or road closure.

NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOT LINE 877-633-6772

CoCoRaHS of Washington Yahoo Group is moving to Facebook.
Come Join us at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_143057402422896

Just remember that when you send your request to join the group that you give
your Station Number and you will be approved

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Dear CoCoRaHS Friends,

Greetings past, present and future rain/snow/hail gaugers.  If you are
new to CoCoRaHS and need some help getting started, just let us know.

As this arctic surge and developing winter storm grip so much of the
country, I just wanted to send words of CoCoRaHS thanks and
encouragement.  The number of daily precipitation reports have been
dropping off of late.  Many of us may be growing weary of winter or are
just plain having trouble measuring the icy snow that has been piling up
in some areas.

Don't give up and please know that:

1)  Your precipitation reports are really, really important and are
being used every day by weather, water, agricultural and educational
professionals across the country

2)   This /might/ be the last severe cold blast of the winter  -- so
hold on. You can make it!

3)  The days are getting longer and in a couple more weeks the increased
day length and warmer temperatures will become obvious.  (There are a
few exceptions such as near the Great Lakes where pre-spring warm up
usually lags by a few weeks)

4)  But don't forget that old adage . . . . "As the days grow longer,
the storms grow stronger" since that is often the case as we move
towards spring.

5) We are rapidly approaching severe storm season -- starting first in
the South and then shifting northward into the Central Plains and
Mississippi Valley as we head toward March, April and May.  Take the
appropriate precautions to be ready.  Your National Weather Service
office may be holding severe weather spotter training sessions in your
area, so check their website for dates and locations.

6)  As the sun gets higher in the sky and the temperatures warm, then
the risk of drought impacts will also be increasing for those of you in
areas that have been missing the recent storms.  In the event that
drought creeps into your area, please let us know by filing a "Drought
Impact Report"
http://www.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=droughtimpactreports

So keep on reporting your measurements -- if it's appropriate.  And get
ready to start again once winter weather passes, if you've been staying
warm, dry and safe inside this winter.  Remember that "Significant
Weather Reports' are welcome any hour of the day if you are experiencing
heavy rain, heavy snow or anything else you think your local weather
experts should know about.


Seattle, Greeley, Denver, Nashville

My job as climatologist for Colorado has carried me to several cities in
the last 10 days.  Each was a totally different meeting (American
Meteorological Society Annual Meeting, Colorado Farm Show, Colorado
Water Congress, National Association of Conservation Districts).  Yet,
at each and every meeting I ran into enthusiastic CoCoRaHS volunteers.
There was even a Virginia volunteer at the Colorado Farm Show, and there
were Wyoming and New York volunteers here at the National Association of
Conservation Districts in Nashville.

I can't tell you what a warm and wonderful feeling it is to find fellow
faithful CoCoRaHS participants all across the country.  It's like
finding an old friend.  By being here in Tennessee this week I am
missing the -10F temperatures back home in Colorado.  Instead I'll get
to see winter rain, hear some thunder, and feel a Tennessee cold front
rip through on Tuesday night.


Snow Water Equivalent (SWE)  -- a huge thanks.

Our rain gauges are great for rain and modest snows, but they aren't the
best for measuring the water content of deep snow.  Nevertheless, I was
amazed that over 1000 of us measured and reported the SWE (water content
of the snowpack on the ground) when we started our SWE Monday campaign a
few weeks ago.  That was awesome! Thank you so much.  We are looking for
tougher tubes and affordable scales that might make this measurement
easier.  The National Weather Service sent us a design to use automotive
tail pipes to take measurements of snow water equivalent.  I will share
that with you soon when I get back home.


The 2010 Water Year Summary

I've been heading in so many directions that I failed to tell you that
Zack completed a comprehensive summary of the 2010 water year across the
country and has posted this on our website.  Here's a link to it.

http://www.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=dataanalysis

The driest parts of the country had less than 5" of total precipitation
for the year while a few of you measured over 100" for the year.  Snow
totals ranged from zero to over 500" for the year.  Take a look.  These
data are fascinating.  Next year, we'll have even more complete data to
work with so the report will be even better.


Facebook and Twitter

In case you haven't noticed, popular demand and knocking opportunity got
the best of us.  CoCoRaHS is blogging,  booking and twittering.  If this
is something you want to participate in, just go to the homepage at
www.cocorahs.org and you will see the appropriate symbols to click on.


The CoCoRaHS Rain Gauge Photo Calendar

Yes, we are having a sale.  $7.75 each plus shipping until they are
gone.  There will never be another CoCoRaHS calendar quite like this
one, so please pick up a couple.  Thanks for making this shared effort a
success.

http://www.weatheryourway.com/cocorahs/cal2011coco.htm


Conclusion

Be careful during this raging cold wave, blizzard, snow and ice storm.
Keep the rain and snow reports coming, and hang in there for a few more
weeks of winter.  Oh yes -- and Happy Groundhog Day!

Sincerely,

Nolan Doesken
Colorado State University

P.S. Called home this evening.  The animals are hanging in there against
the cold.  Our chickens are tough, but they've shut down egg laying
again for a few days.  The horses can't wait until there is fresh green
grass again -- the old hay is getting a little stale.




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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
   <head>
     <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;
       charset=ISO-8859-1">
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   <body text="#000000" bgcolor="#ffffff">
     Dear CoCoRaHS Friends,<br>
     <br>
     Greetings past, present and future rain/snow/hail gaugers.  If you
     are new to CoCoRaHS and need some help getting started, just let us
     know.<br>
     <br>
     As this arctic surge and developing winter storm grip so much of the
     country, I just wanted to send words of CoCoRaHS thanks and
     encouragement.  The number of daily precipitation reports have been
     dropping off of late.  Many of us may be growing weary of winter or
     are just plain having trouble measuring the icy snow that has been
     piling up in some areas.  <br>
     <br>
     Don't give up and please know that: <br>
     <br>
     1)  Your precipitation reports are really, really important and are
     being used every day by weather, water, agricultural and educational
     professionals across the country <br>
     <br>
     2)   This <i>might</i> be the last severe cold blast of the
winter 
     -- so hold on. You can make it!<br>
     <br>
     3)  The days are getting longer and in a couple more weeks the
     increased day length and warmer temperatures will become obvious. 
     (There are a few exceptions such as near the Great Lakes where
     pre-spring warm up usually lags by a few weeks)<br>
     <br>
     4)  But don't forget that old adage . . . . "As the days grow
     longer, the storms grow stronger" since that is often the case as we
     move towards spring.<br>
     <br>
     5) We are rapidly approaching severe storm season -- starting first
     in the South and then shifting northward into the Central Plains and
     Mississippi Valley as we head toward March, April and May.  Take the
     appropriate precautions to be ready.  Your National Weather Service
     office may be holding severe weather spotter training sessions in
     your area, so check their website for dates and locations.<br>
     <br>
     6)  As the sun gets higher in the sky and the temperatures warm,
     then the risk of drought impacts will also be increasing for those
     of you in areas that have been missing the recent storms.  In the
     event that drought creeps into your area, please let us know by
     filing a "Drought Impact Report"<br>
     <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=droughtimpactreports">http://www\
.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=droughtimpactreports</a><br>
     <br>
     So keep on reporting your measurements -- if it's appropriate.  And
     get ready to start again once winter weather passes, if you've been
     staying warm, dry and safe inside this winter.  Remember that
     "Significant Weather Reports' are welcome any hour of the day if you
     are experiencing heavy rain, heavy snow or anything else you think
     your local weather experts should know about.<br>
     <br>
     <br>
     Seattle, Greeley, Denver, Nashville <br>
     <br>
     My job as climatologist for Colorado has carried me to several
     cities in the last 10 days.  Each was a totally different meeting
     (American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting, Colorado Farm Show,
     Colorado Water Congress, National Association of Conservation
     Districts).  Yet, at each and every meeting I ran into enthusiastic
     CoCoRaHS volunteers.  There was even a Virginia volunteer at the
     Colorado Farm Show, and there were Wyoming and New York volunteers
     here at the National Association of Conservation Districts in
     Nashville.  <br>
     <br>
     I can't tell you what a warm and wonderful feeling it is to find
     fellow faithful CoCoRaHS participants all across the country.  It's
     like finding an old friend.  By being here in Tennessee this week I
     am missing the -10F temperatures back home in Colorado.  Instead
     I'll get to see winter rain, hear some thunder, and feel a Tennessee
     cold front rip through on Tuesday night.<br>
     <br>
        <br>
     Snow Water Equivalent (SWE)  -- a huge thanks.<br>
     <br>
     Our rain gauges are great for rain and modest snows, but they aren't
     the best for measuring the water content of deep snow. 
     Nevertheless, I was amazed that over 1000 of us measured and
     reported the SWE (water content of the snowpack on the ground) when
     we started our SWE Monday campaign a few weeks ago.  That was
     awesome! Thank you so much.  We are looking for tougher tubes and
     affordable scales that might make this measurement easier.  The
     National Weather Service sent us a design to use automotive tail
     pipes to take measurements of snow water equivalent.  I will share
     that with you soon when I get back home.<br>
     <br>
     <br>
     The 2010 Water Year Summary<br>
     <br>
     I've been heading in so many directions that I failed to tell you
     that Zack completed a comprehensive summary of the 2010 water year
     across the country and has posted this on our website.  Here's a
     link to it.    <br>
     <br>
     <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
      
href="http://www.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=dataanalysis">http://www.cocorah\
s.org/Content.aspx?page=dataanalysis</a><br>
     <br>
     The driest parts of the country had less than 5" of total
     precipitation for the year while a few of you measured over 100" for
     the year.  Snow totals ranged from zero to over 500" for the
year. 
     Take a look.  These data are fascinating.  Next year, we'll have
     even more complete data to work with so the report will be even
     better.<br>
     <br>
     <br>
     Facebook and Twitter<br>
     <br>
     In case you haven't noticed, popular demand and knocking opportunity
     got the best of us.  CoCoRaHS is blogging,  booking and
twittering. 
     If this is something you want to participate in, just go to the
     homepage at <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
       href="http://www.cocorahs.org">www.cocorahs.org</a> and you will
     see the appropriate symbols to click on.<br>
     <br>
     <br>
     The CoCoRaHS Rain Gauge Photo Calendar<br>
     <br>
     Yes, we are having a sale.  $7.75 each plus shipping until they are
     gone.  There will never be another CoCoRaHS calendar quite like this
     one, so please pick up a couple.  Thanks for making this shared
     effort a success.<br>
     <br>
     <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
      
href="http://www.weatheryourway.com/cocorahs/cal2011coco.htm">http://www.weather\
yourway.com/cocorahs/cal2011coco.htm</a><br>
     <br>
     <br>
     Conclusion<br>
     <br>
     Be careful during this raging cold wave, blizzard, snow and ice
     storm.  Keep the rain and snow reports coming, and hang in there for
     a few more weeks of winter.  Oh yes -- and Happy Groundhog Day! 
<br>
     <br>
     Sincerely,<br>
     <br>
     Nolan Doesken<br>
     Colorado State University<br>
     <br>
     P.S. Called home this evening.  The animals are hanging in there
     against the cold.  Our chickens are tough, but they've shut down egg
     laying again for a few days.  The horses can't wait until there is
     fresh green grass again -- the old hay is getting a little stale.<br>
     <br>
     <br>
     <br>
   </body>
</html>

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Please remove all my info from your database, I WILL NOT have ANYTHING to do
with FaceBook, it is the most insecure thing out there as far as privacy goes
!!!!!
I will no longer be turning in any reports.

thank you
doyle wilcox....MS-11  Mason Co. WA
wb7oxj@...

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Greetings and good morning,

Perhaps this will be my last message of this winter season focused on
snow and ice.  That should please many of you  :-).  Those of you in
southern climates may be able to sit back and skip over this one  -- but
then again, if I'm not mistaken, haven't we had snow in southern New
Mexico and ice as far south as Brownsville, TX this week?

_
Dealing with the challenges of snow and ice_

I have been bombarded this week by e-mails from volunteers in many parts
of the country as they confront  the difficulties of winter
precipitation measurements.  The storms this week have included frigid
temperatures, widespread blizzard conditions of extreme severity,.and
large areas of freezing drizzle, freezing rain, sleet and various
combinations of mixed precipitation.  Snow and ice in southern New
England is so deep and moisture-laden that some buildings have been
collapsing under the extreme weight.  These are the most difficult
situations we will meet up with as CoCoRaHS volunteers.   But they are
likewise situations where our data are of particular value.   Other than
the National Weather Service's Cooperative Weather Observing Network
that a few of us are already a part of

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ohx/?n=cooperativeobserverprogram

and a few airports across the country staffed with weather observers,
there are surprisingly few other sources of point measurements of snow
and ice.

Our CoCoRaHS precipitation reports this week have appeared on TV, in
many newspapers, in on-line news stories and in countless National
Weather Service summary reports as our volunteer efforts supplement the
official weather observing networks of our country.  Your efforts are
GREATLY APPRECIATED.

I applaud all of you who braved this winter onslaught to report your
precipitation.  I also applaud those of us who have had the commons
sense to stay indoors and wait until spring for returning to the
pleasant routine of daily weather observations in warmer weather.
Afterall, this is a volunteer effort, and many of us are not as young,
agile and resilient as we once were.  Traipsing out to in the ice and
snow on cold winter mornings to take measurements can be hazardous
especially in weather like we've had this week.   There is no reason to
risk getting stuck, breaking a hip or such just to measure some snow or
freezing rain.  Be wise.


Snow measurement questions

Rather than trying to answer each individual e-mail that I received this
week, I thought I would group the questions into a few categories and
try to cover this for everyone who might be interested.  Read the parts
that apply to you and skip over the rest or come back to it when you
need to.   I wish there was a way to make this brief and easy.  After
all, measuring rain is a piece of cake.  But snow and ice require more
time, thought, care, and good judgment.  So here we go


Freezing rain/glaze

The challenge of glaze from freezing rain is 1) it's remarkably
slippery  2) it makes it difficult to remove your gauge from its
mounting bracket, 3) it often is accompanied by other forms of
precipitation, and 4) it takes a long time to melt.  The glaze from
freezing rain accumulates both on the outside and the inside of your gauge.

When it comes to freezing rain, the measurements that we are most
interested in are  1) the total amount of water content in the gauge --
just your regular daily precipitation amount  and 2)  the ice accretion
that has accumulated on wires, branches, etc.  This is the average
"radial thickness" of the accumulated ice.   We don't have a special
form yet to submit this extremely useful observation  but we hope you
enter this in your "Comments" (see instructions for ice accretion under
"Training Slide Shows" )  The U.S. Forest Service, state forest
services, arborists, electric utilities, airport operations and many
other groups are extremely interested in getting good data on the
accumulation of ice from freezing rain.  We are hoping to have a better
way to enter and view ice accretion by next winter.  Some professional
organizations may help make this possible.

To measure the water content, just melt and measure what's in the gauge
making sure to include any ice frozen to the inside sides of the gauge
(and making sure that any ice on the outside of the gauge is not
included.  Many have told me they have avoided the problem of the gauge
freezing and sticking in the mounting bracket by applying a layer of non
stick vegetable oil.  Others have had good luck by taking out a pitcher
of warm water to thaw out the bracket.  My approach, but we get very
little freezing rain here, is to remove the gauge from the bracket prior
to an icing event so it is easier to retrieve.  If there is a very thick
layer of ice, do the best you can.  We've had a few people break their
gauge trying to pry it free from thick layers of glaze  -- so don't get
too carried away.


Blizzard conditions and uneven snow conditions

Yes, we always try to measure as accurately as we can -- precipitation
amounts to the nearest 0.01" , snowfall to the nearest 0.1" and total
depth (old plus new snow) to the nearest half or whole inch.  But when
the blizzard comes, as it did this week from OK to MO, IA, IL, IN, WI
and MI ,then throw that out the window and just do the best you can.

The simple fact is that wind-driven snow is not inclined to land in our
gauges or accumulate politely on our favorite snow measurement areas.
The gauge may be nearly empty and there may be areas of bare ground
showing while nearby are drifts 3-6 feet tall.  In fact, in blizzard
conditions we may have to disregard what lands in our gauge and revert,
instead, to finding  -- to the best of our reasoning abilities -- a
"representative location" where the accumulation of  new snow seems to
be about the average.  There you can report the average depth and  take
a core sample of the snow, measure the water content and then ponder,
before you send in your report, if that reading seems reasonable.

You may think that us "professionals" know how to handle all situations
with grace and precision, but the fact is that coming up with
measurements from true blizzard storms -- such as the 20.2" total
reported at Chicago O'Hare earlier this week (3rd largest single storm
in recorded history), is often a combination of measurement (usually an
average from several locations), experience (comparing to past storms
you have measured)  and judgment.  In other words, there are situations
where a good guess is probably closer to the truth than any one
particular measurement you can make.

There is no magic formula for how you determine how much snow fell and
what its water content was.  You just assess as best you can.  I assure
you, you can tell the difference between a 1" snow, a 6" snow and a 12"
snow, even in blizzard conditions.  So start crudely and then narrow it
down to a better estimate.  If you're in an open wind-swept area,
chances are you will report less than if you are in a very protected
area where the snow builds up.  In fact, in both the recent Chicago
storm and the one that hit New York City the day after Christmas, the
deepest snows were measured in very densely populated neighborhoods.
Because of the very strong winds with these storms, snow was blown from
the many roofs and streets and deposited in the small yards.  The
backyard measurements may have been somewhat enhanced by the roof-blown
snow.

So don't give up on these storms.  No, your "measurement" may not be
perfect, but no one's will be.  Just do your best, be reasonable, and be
consistent.  Then check with what you see from neighboring stations.
Chances are you will be in the right ball park.  And the more
measurements there are in any given area, the more confident we become.
People think we're crazy when we say we are hoping to achieve at least
one volunteer per square mile in populated areas  -- but when we have
that concentration of observations we learn a whole lot.


Dealing with deep snow and ice taller than my gauge or too dense to
penetrate

My hat is off to all of you who have been and continue to measure and
report the water content of the total accumulation of snow on the
ground.  We certainly don't expect everyone to take the SWE measurement
but this is information that is hard to come by and of much utility.
The water content from deep snow may fuel the next big flood or it may
weigh down roofs and buildings to the point of damage or collapse.

There is a lot of snow now in many parts of the country including
widespread areas of New England right to the coast with close to 2 feet
of dense snow.  This snow may have several inches of water content.
Just to give you an idea, if you happen to have three inches of water
content in the snow that is perched on the roof of your house, that
works out to over 15 pounds per square foot.  Add up the square feet of
your roof and all of a sudden you're talking about a lot of weight.

Our equipment is not well suited to getting quick measurements of the
water content of deep or icy snow. The outer cylinder of our gauge is
only 12" tall, which makes it hard to get a core sample from deep snow.
Furthermore, some of your snow has ice layers and is so dense that you
nearly crack the gauge trying to get a core sample.  Thanks for trying,
that's for sure.

Here are a couple of suggestions we've received to try to make this
important measurement feasible. If you have others, please let me know.
There are a lot of practical and ingenious folks out there.

Hi Nolan,
                                      You mentioned that our observers
are having a problem measuring snow depth to get the water content.  I
beleive the problem is that the outer tube is too small to measure the
deep snow that some people have.   Trying to push the plastic tube thru
deep encrusted snow may damage the tube.
       This what I did to solve this problem.  I took #2 cans, the kind
you get friut cocktail or tomatoes in, and cut the tops and bottoms
off.  Then I taped them all together with metal tape that you can find
in most hardware stores.  Leave bottom on the last can. you can add as
many cans as you think you need.
My can measuring tube is 22" long, and it cuts thru snow and crust
easy.  IT IS THE SAME SIZE DIAMETER AS OUR PLASTIC GUAGES (so I can then
melt the snow and pour it into the calibrated inner cylinder to get the
final measurement)
                                                               Hope this
suggestion may help.
                                                                                                                       
Bob
                                                                                                                       
Tilton, N.H.

Nolan -

OK, we found the report for the muffler snow tube - looks like a great idea for
getting through ice, but the equipment includes the 2.5"-diameter plastic tube
that NWS co-ops have, and a little help from the muffler shop and their
equipment.

The basic idea is that a length of muffler tube, 2.5" in OUTSIDE diameter, is
flared at the bottom to make the INSIDE diamter 2.5" (this is the muffler shop
equipment). Then teeth are notched with a jigsaw and metal-cutting blade. The
NWS plastic gauge is stuck on the other end (non-flared) and the sample is
dumped into the rain gauge and measured.

So, for folks to do this without the plastic rain gauge is definitely possible,
but we'd have to supply them with "easy math" (i.e. a simple conversion factor)
to calculate the water by volume or weight.

If you're interested in more information about this, here's the link:

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mqt/?n=swe_muffler_pipe.php

Again, let me know if I can help!


Moisture stuck on the side of the gauge

Our motto is "every drop counts" but many of you have noticed that quite
a few drops stick to the side of the large outer cylinder when the
funnel and inner tube are removed for winter weather operations.  When
you do your observation, make sure that all snow and ice stuck on the
sides of the gauge are dealt with.  any snow and ice on the outside of
the cylinder should be wiped off and anything inside should be included
in your measurement.  As much as about 0.01" can stick to the inside of
the cylinder even after you pour the contents into the inner cylinder
for measurement.  When the gauges are very new, very little moisture
sticks to the side, but older or dirtier gauges retain more.  If you
note a lot of water left on the inside of the gauge, consider rounding
your measurement up by 0.01"  But considering the other uncertainties of
the measurement, you probably don't need to worry about it


Are there affordable scales for measuring precipitation by weight?

Many of us have learned that it is much quicker and easier to measure
precipitation by weight rather than the cumbersome process of melting
snow and pouring it into the inner cylinder for measurement.  This is
especially helpful when measuring the snow water equivalent (SWE) of a
deep or icy snowpack.  To measure to the nearest 0.01", you need a scale
that can measure to the nearest gram.  For our 4-inch diameter gauges,
each 0.01" of precipitation weighs very close to 2 grams.  Scales this
accurate tend to be somewhat expensive.  The one I used in the training
slide show came from university laboratory and costs several hundred
dollars.  But some of you have found good scales in the range of $25-100
that appear to do the job.  I wish I could help more with this, but if
we get better suggestions I will try to pass on the information.


Rapidly accumulating but rapidly settling low-density snowfalls

While some of us have had ice and dense wet snows, others have had
generous amounts of fluffy, low density snow.  This type of snow
provides its own challenges.  Some of the "lake effect" snow that is
common around the Great Lakes and in some other areas can be amazingly
fluffy with water content of 5% or less (i.e.  1 inch of snow may
contain 0.05" of water or less).  We've had quite a few reports this
winter of snow with only 1-2% water content  -- now that's fluff!
Without even measuring, it's easy to tell low density snow from denser
snow just by walking through it, sweeping or shoveling.  The main thing
to think about when measuring is to remember the definition of
"snowfall".  Snowfall refers to the accumulation of new snow since the
previous observation.  Ideally, it is the maximum accumulation of new
snow -- prior to melting or settling -- that occurs within your 24-hour
observing period.  You can stick your ruler in the snow as often as you
wish during the day to see how much has accumulated. It is OK to measure
and then clear your snow board  (if you have one) up to four times a day
at 6-hour intervals -- which is what our long-term airport weather
stations did for many years.   But to be considered a valid measurement
please don' clear your measurement surface and sum the increments for
periods of less than 6 hours.  It is best, for measurement consistency,
to only clear the measurement surface once a day at your regular morning
observing time.


Questions about the "Time of observation" and time of submitting your report

There have been many questions about observation time.  Do you wait
until the snow is over or do you try to report at 7 AM (or your normal
scheduled time of your daily observation)?

Our preference is that you go ahead and do your regular daily
measurement even if it is still snowing or raining at the time.  That
way it is possible for us and the myriad of users of your data to have
daily reports to compare from as many locations as possible.  If you
usually measure at 7 AM but don't get to it until 8:15 due to the cold
and snow, then just make sure you type in "8:15" as your time of
observation so we know when you really took the measurements.  In order
for your daily measurements to show up on our precipitation, snowfall
and snow depth maps, your observation time that you enter needs to be
between 4:30 AM and 9:30 AM.  It is OK to measure earlier or later if
that fits your schedule, but we don't map the data if it's more than
about 2 hours off from 7 AM just for issues of consistency..

If it is raining or snowing very hard at 7 AM (or your normal daily
observation time) there is some risk that you may miss some
precipitation while you're taking the measurement.  For this reason, it
is really helpful and convenient to have a second outer cylinder so you
can set one out while you bring in the other.  This allows a more
relaxed and less hurried observation.

We also encourage reports of significant weather any time of the day
using the "Significant Weather Report" entry form.  We may have set a
CoCoRaHS record on Feb 1 with 225 Significant Weather reports.  These
reports are a huge help to NWS forecasters, emergency managers, etc.

Many of us are rushed in the morning as we try to get to work or to
school on time.  We realize it is not always possible to get on the
computer and send in your report as soon as you finish the observation.
We get many questions about this.  It turns out that it is fine and
acceptable to send in your report later in the day if that works best
for you.  Many of the groups using CoCoRaHS data are grabbing and
exporting the data reports in the window of 7 - 10 AM.  The sooner you
report, the more your data will be used.  But for our climatological
uses (weekly totals, monthly, seasonal and annual totals, etc) it
doesn't matter nearly as much.  Quite frankly, report when you have time
and we will appreciate your data a lot.


Why do so many false "Zero" reports show up on the CoCoRaHS maps after
snow storms?

I'm not sure how to answer this.  For some reason some of us -- probably
by accident -- send in reports of 0.00" precipitation, snowfall and/or
total depth of snow on the ground even when there is snow.  All I can
say is please check your reports and make sure you didn't accidently
type in 0.00 when you shouldn't have.  We have a great team helping keep
an eye on our data reports each day to spot and then help correct
errors.  But the best check is your own check.  Before you push that
"Submit" button, always review your entry.  Also, remember that there is
a View/Edit option after you submit your report so you can always go
back and easily fix a mistake.


What training resources does CoCoRaHS have?

Again, as stated several times this winter, we encourage you to view our
training materials.   We have several forms of training materials on our
website -- some training slide shows, some traditional narrative
instructions and even some videos.  Most of these can be found under
"Training Slide Shows" and "Things to know about rain, hail and snow"
http://www.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=snow There are also quite a
few U-tube videos now.  Some are excellent.  Over the course of the next
year, we'll hopefully have additional choices to make snow measurement
training easier.


While I was gone

While I was at the National meeting of Conservation Districts in
Tennessee last week (hopefully introducing many people from all parts of
the country to CoCoRaHS), I managed to miss out on our coldest weather
here in Fort Collins in several years.  We got down to -20F at our house
Tuesday AM.  By the time I got home Wednesday night it had warmed to -5F
and it's been warmer since then.  Kathy (my wife) has not been amused by
the timing of my travels.  As those of you who have farms and animals
know, life gets harder when temperatures get colder.  Somewhere around
-10 things start getting really challenging as all of you ranchers who
are already in your calving season know..  I came home to discover that
Kathy had dealt with the challenge by moving our chickens from their
uninsulated unheated chicken coop into our unfinished basement. They
were caged -- but still it's a bit odd to find chickens in the house.
Fortunately, the horses were still in the barn.  And the Great Pyrenees
seemed largely unimpressed.


Thanks for sticking with CoCoRaHS.  Winter will be losing its grip soon
enough.  So hang in there.

Best regards,

Nolan Doesken
Colorado State University

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     Greetings and good morning,<br>
     <br>
     Perhaps this will be my last message of this winter season focused
     on snow and ice.  That should please many of you  :-).  Those
of you
     in southern climates may be able to sit back and skip over this one 
     -- but then again, if I'm not mistaken, haven't we had snow in
     southern New Mexico and ice as far south as Brownsville, TX this
     week?<br>
     <br>
     <u><br>
       <font color="#663366">Dealing with the challenges of snow and
ice</font></u><br>
     <br>
     I have been bombarded this week by e-mails from volunteers in many
     parts of the country as they confront  the difficulties of winter
     precipitation measurements.  The storms this week have included
     frigid temperatures, widespread blizzard conditions of extreme
     severity,.and large areas of freezing drizzle, freezing rain, sleet
     and various combinations of mixed precipitation.  Snow and ice in
     southern New England is so deep and moisture-laden that some
     buildings have been collapsing under the extreme weight.  These are
     the most difficult situations we will meet up with as CoCoRaHS
     volunteers.   But they are likewise situations where our data are of
     particular value.   Other than the National Weather Service's
     Cooperative Weather Observing Network that a few of us are already a
     part of <br>
     <br>
     <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ohx/?n=cooperativeobserverprogram">http://www.srh.\
noaa.gov/ohx/?n=cooperativeobserverprogram</a><br>
     <br>
     and a few airports across the country staffed with weather
     observers, there are surprisingly few other sources of point
     measurements of snow and ice.  <br>
     <br>
     Our CoCoRaHS precipitation reports this week have appeared on TV, in
     many newspapers, in on-line news stories and in countless National
     Weather Service summary reports as our volunteer efforts supplement
     the official weather observing networks of our country.  Your
     efforts are GREATLY APPRECIATED.<br>
     <br>
     I applaud all of you who braved this winter onslaught to report your
     precipitation.  I also applaud those of us who have had the commons
     sense to stay indoors and wait until spring for returning to the
     pleasant routine of daily weather observations in warmer weather. 
     Afterall, this is a volunteer effort, and many of us are not as
     young, agile and resilient as we once were.  Traipsing out to in the
     ice and snow on cold winter mornings to take measurements can be
     hazardous especially in weather like we've had this week.   There
is
     no reason to risk getting stuck, breaking a hip or such just to
     measure some snow or freezing rain.  Be wise.<br>
     <br>
     <br>
     Snow measurement questions<br>
     <br>
     Rather than trying to answer each individual e-mail that I received
     this week, I thought I would group the questions into a few
     categories and try to cover this for everyone who might be
     interested.  Read the parts that apply to you and skip over the rest
     or come back to it when you need to.   I wish there was a way to
     make this brief and easy.  After all, measuring rain is a piece of
     cake.  But snow and ice require more time, thought, care, and good
     judgment.  So here we go<br>
     <br>
     <br>
     Freezing rain/glaze<br>
     <br>
     The challenge of glaze from freezing rain is 1) it's remarkably
     slippery  2) it makes it difficult to remove your gauge from its
     mounting bracket, 3) it often is accompanied by other forms of
     precipitation, and 4) it takes a long time to melt.  The glaze from
     freezing rain accumulates both on the outside and the inside of your
     gauge. <br>
     <br>
     When it comes to freezing rain, the measurements that we are most
     interested in are  1) the total amount of water content in the gauge
     -- just your regular daily precipitation amount  and 2)  the ice
     accretion that has accumulated on wires, branches, etc.  This is the
     average "radial thickness" of the accumulated ice.   We don't have a
     special form yet to submit this extremely useful observation  but we
     hope you enter this in your "Comments" (see instructions for ice
     accretion under "Training Slide Shows" )  The U.S. Forest Service,
     state forest services, arborists, electric utilities, airport
     operations and many other groups are extremely interested in getting
     good data on the accumulation of ice from freezing rain.  We are
     hoping to have a better way to enter and view ice accretion by next
     winter.  Some professional organizations may help make this
     possible.   <br>
     <br>
     To measure the water content, just melt and measure what's in the
     gauge making sure to include any ice frozen to the inside sides of
     the gauge (and making sure that any ice on the outside of the gauge
     is not included.  Many have told me they have avoided the problem of
     the gauge freezing and sticking in the mounting bracket by applying
     a layer of non stick vegetable oil.  Others have had good luck by
     taking out a pitcher of warm water to thaw out the bracket.  My
     approach, but we get very little freezing rain here, is to remove
     the gauge from the bracket prior to an icing event so it is easier
     to retrieve.  If there is a very thick layer of ice, do the best you
     can.  We've had a few people break their gauge trying to pry it free
     from thick layers of glaze  -- so don't get too carried away.<br>
     <br>
     <br>
     Blizzard conditions and uneven snow conditions<br>
     <br>
     Yes, we always try to measure as accurately as we can --
     precipitation amounts to the nearest 0.01" , snowfall to the nearest
     0.1" and total depth (old plus new snow) to the nearest half or
     whole inch.  But when the blizzard comes, as it did this week from
     OK to MO, IA, IL, IN, WI and MI ,then throw that out the window and
     just do the best you can.<br>
     <br>
     The simple fact is that wind-driven snow is not inclined to land in
     our gauges or accumulate politely on our favorite snow measurement
     areas.  The gauge may be nearly empty and there may be areas of bare
     ground showing while nearby are drifts 3-6 feet tall.  In fact, in
     blizzard conditions we may have to disregard what lands in our gauge
     and revert, instead, to finding  -- to the best of our reasoning
     abilities -- a "representative location" where the accumulation of 
     new snow seems to be about the average.  There you can report the
     average depth and  take a core sample of the snow, measure the water
     content and then ponder, before you send in your report, if that
     reading seems reasonable.<br>
     <br>
     You may think that us "professionals" know how to handle all
     situations with grace and precision, but the fact is that coming up
     with measurements from true blizzard storms -- such as the 20.2"
     total reported at Chicago O'Hare earlier this week (3rd largest
     single storm in recorded history), is often a combination of
     measurement (usually an average from several locations), experience
     (comparing to past storms you have measured)  and judgment.  In
     other words, there are situations where a good guess is probably
     closer to the truth than any one particular measurement you can
     make.   <br>
     <br>
     There is no magic formula for how you determine how much snow fell
     and what its water content was.  You just assess as best you can. 
I
     assure you, you can tell the difference between a 1" snow, a 6" snow
     and a 12" snow, even in blizzard conditions.  So start crudely and
     then narrow it down to a better estimate.  If you're in an open
     wind-swept area, chances are you will report less than if you are in
     a very protected area where the snow builds up.  In fact, in both
     the recent Chicago storm and the one that hit New York City the day
     after Christmas, the deepest snows were measured in very densely
     populated neighborhoods.   Because of the very strong winds with
     these storms, snow was blown from the many roofs and streets and
     deposited in the small yards.  The backyard measurements may have
     been somewhat enhanced by the roof-blown snow.<br>
     <br>
     So don't give up on these storms.  No, your "measurement" may not be
     perfect, but no one's will be.  Just do your best, be reasonable,
     and be consistent.  Then check with what you see from neighboring
     stations.  Chances are you will be in the right ball park.  And
the
     more measurements there are in any given area, the more confident we
     become.  People think we're crazy when we say we are hoping to
     achieve at least one volunteer per square mile in populated areas 
     -- but when we have that concentration of observations we learn a
     whole lot.<br>
     <br>
     <br>
     Dealing with deep snow and ice taller than my gauge or too dense to
     penetrate <br>
     <br>
     My hat is off to all of you who have been and continue to measure
     and report the water content of the total accumulation of snow on
     the ground.  We certainly don't expect everyone to take the SWE
     measurement but this is information that is hard to come by and of
     much utility.  The water content from deep snow may fuel the next
     big flood or it may weigh down roofs and buildings to the point of
     damage or collapse. <br>
     <br>
     There is a lot of snow now in many parts of the country including
     widespread areas of New England right to the coast with close to 2
     feet of dense snow.  This snow may have several inches of water
     content.  Just to give you an idea, if you happen to have three
     inches of water content in the snow that is perched on the roof of
     your house, that works out to over 15 pounds per square foot.  Add
     up the square feet of your roof and all of a sudden you're talking
     about a lot of weight.<br>
     <br>
     Our equipment is not well suited to getting quick measurements of
     the water content of deep or icy snow. The outer cylinder of our
     gauge is only 12" tall, which makes it hard to get a core sample
     from deep snow.  Furthermore, some of your snow has ice layers and
     is so dense that you nearly crack the gauge trying to get a core
     sample.  Thanks for trying, that's for sure.  <br>
     <br>
     Here are a couple of suggestions we've received to try to make this
     important measurement feasible. If you have others, please let me
     know.  There are a lot of practical and ingenious folks out there.<br>
     <font face="Arial" size="4"><br>
       Hi Nolan,</font>
     <div> </div>
     <div><font face="Arial"
size="4">            \
;             &\
nbsp;         
         You mentioned that our observers are having a problem measuring
         snow depth to get the water content.  I beleive the problem is
         that the outer tube is too small to measure the deep snow that
         some people have.   Trying to push the plastic tube thru deep
         encrusted snow may damage the tube.</font></div>
     <div> </div>
     <div><font face="Arial" size="4">     This what I did to
solve this
         problem.  I took #2 cans, the kind you get friut cocktail or
         tomatoes in, and cut the tops and bottoms off.  Then I taped
         them all together with metal tape that you can find in most
         hardware stores.  Leave bottom on the last can. you can add as
         many cans as you think you need.</font></div>
     <div><font face="Arial" size="4">My can measuring tube is 22" long,
         and it cuts thru snow and crust easy.  IT IS THE SAME SIZE
         DIAMETER AS OUR PLASTIC GUAGES (so I can then melt the snow and
         pour it into the calibrated inner cylinder to get the final
         measurement)<br>
       </font></div>
     <div> </div>
     <div><font face="Arial"
size="4">            \
;             &\
nbsp;            &nb\
sp;             \
;        
         Hope this suggestion may help.</font></div>
     <div> </div>
     <div><font face="Arial"
size="4">            \
;             &\
nbsp;            &nb\
sp;             \
;             &\
nbsp;            &nb\
sp;             \
;             &\
nbsp;           
         Bob <br>
       </font></div>
     <div><font face="Arial"
size="4">            \
;             &\
nbsp;            &nb\
sp;             \
;             &\
nbsp;            &nb\
sp;             \
;             &\
nbsp;           
         Tilton, N.H.</font></div>
     <br>
     <pre wrap="">Nolan -

OK, we found the report for the muffler snow tube - looks like a great idea for
getting through ice, but the equipment includes the 2.5"-diameter plastic tube
that NWS co-ops have, and a little help from the muffler shop and their
equipment.

The basic idea is that a length of muffler tube, 2.5" in OUTSIDE diameter, is
flared at the bottom to make the INSIDE diamter 2.5" (this is the muffler shop
equipment). Then teeth are notched with a jigsaw and metal-cutting blade. The
NWS plastic gauge is stuck on the other end (non-flared) and the sample is
dumped into the rain gauge and measured.

So, for folks to do this without the plastic rain gauge is definitely possible,
but we'd have to supply them with "easy math" (i.e. a simple conversion factor)
to calculate the water by volume or weight.

If you're interested in more information about this, here's the link:

<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mqt/?n=swe_muffler_pipe.php">http://www.crh.noaa.g\
ov/mqt/?n=swe_muffler_pipe.php</a>

Again, let me know if I can help!

</pre>
     Moisture stuck on the side of the gauge<br>
     <br>
     Our motto is "every drop counts" but many of you have noticed that
     quite a few drops stick to the side of the large outer cylinder when
     the funnel and inner tube are removed for winter weather
     operations.  When you do your observation, make sure that all snow
     and ice stuck on the sides of the gauge are dealt with.  any snow
     and ice on the outside of the cylinder should be wiped off and
     anything inside should be included in your measurement.  As much as
     about 0.01" can stick to the inside of the cylinder even after you
     pour the contents into the inner cylinder for measurement.  When the
     gauges are very new, very little moisture sticks to the side, but
     older or dirtier gauges retain more.  If you note a lot of water
     left on the inside of the gauge, consider rounding your measurement
     up by 0.01"  But considering the other uncertainties of the
     measurement, you probably don't need to worry about it   <br>
     <br>
     <br>
     Are there affordable scales for measuring precipitation by weight?<br>
     <br>
     Many of us have learned that it is much quicker and easier to
     measure precipitation by weight rather than the cumbersome process
     of melting snow and pouring it into the inner cylinder for
     measurement.  This is especially helpful when measuring the snow
     water equivalent (SWE) of a deep or icy snowpack.  To measure to the
     nearest 0.01", you need a scale that can measure to the nearest
     gram.  For our 4-inch diameter gauges, each 0.01" of precipitation
     weighs very close to 2 grams.  Scales this accurate tend to be
     somewhat expensive.  The one I used in the training slide show came
     from university laboratory and costs several hundred dollars.  But
     some of you have found good scales in the range of $25-100 that
     appear to do the job.  I wish I could help more with this, but if we
     get better suggestions I will try to pass on the information.<br>
     <br>
     <br>
     Rapidly accumulating but rapidly settling low-density snowfalls<br>
     <br>
     While some of us have had ice and dense wet snows, others have had
     generous amounts of fluffy, low density snow.  This type of snow
     provides its own challenges.  Some of the "lake effect" snow that is
     common around the Great Lakes and in some other areas can be
     amazingly fluffy with water content of 5% or less (i.e.  1 inch of
     snow may contain 0.05" of water or less).  We've had quite a few
     reports this winter of snow with only 1-2% water content  -- now
     that's fluff!  Without even measuring, it's easy to tell low density
     snow from denser snow just by walking through it, sweeping or
     shoveling.  The main thing to think about when measuring is to
     remember the definition of "snowfall".  Snowfall refers to the
     accumulation of new snow since the previous observation.  Ideally,
     it is the maximum accumulation of new snow -- prior to melting or
     settling -- that occurs within your 24-hour observing period.  You
     can stick your ruler in the snow as often as you wish during the day
     to see how much has accumulated. It is OK to measure and then clear
     your snow board  (if you have one) up to four times a day at 6-hour
     intervals -- which is what our long-term airport weather stations
     did for many years.   But to be considered a valid measurement
     please don' clear your measurement surface and sum the increments
     for periods of less than 6 hours.  It is best, for measurement
     consistency, to only clear the measurement surface once a day at
     your regular morning observing time.<br>
     <br>
     <br>
     Questions about the "Time of observation" and time of submitting
     your report<br>
     <br>
     There have been many questions about observation time.  Do you wait
     until the snow is over or do you try to report at 7 AM (or your
     normal scheduled time of your daily observation)?   <br>
     <br>
     Our preference is that you go ahead and do your regular daily
     measurement even if it is still snowing or raining at the time. 
     That way it is possible for us and the myriad of users of your data
     to have daily reports to compare from as many locations as
     possible.  If you usually measure at 7 AM but don't get to it until
     8:15 due to the cold and snow, then just make sure you type in
     "8:15" as your time of observation so we know when you really took
     the measurements.  In order for your daily measurements to show up
     on our precipitation, snowfall and snow depth maps, your observation
     time that you enter needs to be between 4:30 AM and 9:30 AM.  It is
     OK to measure earlier or later if that fits your schedule, but we
     don't map the data if it's more than about 2 hours off from 7 AM
     just for issues of consistency..  <br>
     <br>
     If it is raining or snowing very hard at 7 AM (or your normal daily
     observation time) there is some risk that you may miss some
     precipitation while you're taking the measurement.  For this reason,
     it is really helpful and convenient to have a second outer cylinder
     so you can set one out while you bring in the other.  This allows a
     more relaxed and less hurried observation.<br>
     <br>
     We also encourage reports of significant weather any time of the day
     using the "Significant Weather Report" entry form.  We may have set
     a CoCoRaHS record on Feb 1 with 225 Significant Weather reports. 
     These reports are a huge help to NWS forecasters, emergency
     managers, etc.<br>
     <br>
     Many of us are rushed in the morning as we try to get to work or to
     school on time.  We realize it is not always possible to get on the
     computer and send in your report as soon as you finish the
     observation.  We get many questions about this.  It turns out that
     it is fine and acceptable to send in your report later in the day if
     that works best for you.  Many of the groups using CoCoRaHS data are
     grabbing and exporting the data reports in the window of 7 - 10 AM. 
     The sooner you report, the more your data will be used.  But for our
     climatological uses (weekly totals, monthly, seasonal and annual
     totals, etc) it doesn't matter nearly as much.  Quite frankly,
     report when you have time and we will appreciate your data a lot.<br>
     <br>
     <br>
     Why do so many false "Zero" reports show up on the CoCoRaHS maps
     after snow storms?<br>
     <br>
     I'm not sure how to answer this.  For some reason some of us --
     probably by accident -- send in reports of 0.00" precipitation,
     snowfall and/or total depth of snow on the ground even when there is
     snow.  All I can say is please check your reports and make sure you
     didn't accidently type in 0.00 when you shouldn't have.  We have a
     great team helping keep an eye on our data reports each day to spot
     and then help correct errors.  But the best check is your own
     check.  Before you push that "Submit" button, always review your
     entry.  Also, remember that there is a View/Edit option after you
     submit your report so you can always go back and easily fix a
     mistake.<br>
     <br>
     <br>
     What training resources does CoCoRaHS have?<br>
     <br>
     Again, as stated several times this winter, we encourage you to view
     our training materials.   We have several forms of training
     materials on our website -- some training slide shows, some
     traditional narrative instructions and even some videos.  Most of
     these can be found under "Training Slide Shows" and "Things to know
     about rain, hail and snow"  
     <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=snow">http://www.cocorahs.org/Co\
ntent.aspx?page=snow</a> There are also quite
     a few U-tube videos now.  Some are excellent.  Over the course of
     the next year, we'll hopefully have additional choices to make snow
     measurement training easier.<br>
     <br>
     <br>
     While I was gone<br>
     <br>
     While I was at the National meeting of Conservation Districts in
     Tennessee last week (hopefully introducing many people from all
     parts of the country to CoCoRaHS), I managed to miss out on our
     coldest weather here in Fort Collins in several years.  We got down
     to -20F at our house Tuesday AM.  By the time I got home Wednesday
     night it had warmed to -5F and it's been warmer since then.  Kathy
     (my wife) has not been amused by the timing of my travels.  As those
     of you who have farms and animals know, life gets harder when
     temperatures get colder.  Somewhere around -10 things start getting
     really challenging as all of you ranchers who are already in your
     calving season know..  I came home to discover that Kathy had dealt
     with the challenge by moving our chickens from their uninsulated
     unheated chicken coop into our unfinished basement. They were caged
     -- but still it's a bit odd to find chickens in the house. 
     Fortunately, the horses were still in the barn.  And the Great
     Pyrenees seemed largely unimpressed.<br>
     <br>
     <br>
     Thanks for sticking with CoCoRaHS.  Winter will be losing its grip
     soon enough.  So hang in there.<br>
     <br>
     Best regards,<br>
     <br>
     Nolan Doesken<br>
     Colorado State University<br>
   </body>
</html>

--------------060005010307070707090505--

The National Weather Service has opened up a TOLL FREE Hotline for reporting
Severe Weather. This Hotline is for the Public as well as Trained SKYWARN
Spotters.

YOU MUST READ THE ENTIRE POST PRIOR TO REPORTING.
The number is posted at the bottom of this notice.

The National Weather Service encourages everyone to report severe weather.

HOW TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER USING THIS SYSTEM

in order to use this system you must know your,

1: Latitude Longitude by Degrees and Minutes

2: Or Zip Code

If either of these two items are not available then you must leave a very
detailed voice message at the end as to your location

What State are you in,
What County are you in,
What City are you in or closest to,
What is the nearest cross street, highway or interstate,
What mile post,
What is a well known Landmark,
What direction is the storm or event from your location
Is it still occurring,
what direction is it moving I.E. North, South, East, or West.

Be as detailed, in your report and location as possible IDENTIFY YOUR SELF WITH
YOUR NAME PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS AND CoCoRaHS Station Number
When Prompted to leave a Voice Message.

When Prompted to leave a Voice Message, Remain Calm. Make sure you are in a safe
location. The NWS would much rather not
receive a report if it puts your safety in jeopardy.
YOUR SAFETY COMES FIRST!!!

Be as descriptive as possible, include thickness of tree limbs, rainfall
amounts and any damage or weather occurrence you feel is important to report.

SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING GUIDE LINES FOR WASHINGTON STATE

WESTERN WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debris being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

TORNADO, WATERSPOUT, FUNNEL CLOUD, WALL CLOUD -

Location, time, and direction of movement. Is it still visible? Watch for
rotation in the cloud(s). Any damage?

HAIL - Pea-sized or larger. Any damage?

LIGHTNING - Frequent (4 or more per minute) cloud-to-ground lightning inforested
areas.

DAMAGING WINDS - Trees/power lines knocked down, damage to homes, etc. If you
have an anemometer, report any sustained winds over 35 MPH or gusts over 50 mph.
You Can also use the Beaufort Scale for an estimate. Note: sustained winds are a
one
minute average.

HEAVY RAIN - One-half (0.50) inch in one hour. Two inches or more in 24 hours or
less. Has it ended?

FLOODING - OF ANY KIND! Are waters rising or falling? Any damage, mud or rock
slides, and/or roads blocked?

SNOW - One inch accumulation or more in three hours. 4 inches in 12 hours or
less.

FREEZING PRECIPITATION - Any accumulation of sleet or freezing rain / drizzle.

POOR VISIBILITY - Reduced visibility adversely impacting transportation. Less
than one-half miles for DENSE FOG and BLOWING SNOW.
BLOWING DUST and VOLCANIC ASH. Less than 300 feet

SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

Wind: 50 mph or stronger
Hail: 3/4 inch (penny or dime size) or larger in diameter
Flooding: Any significant amount of water in normally dry areas
River Flooding: Any river rising above their normal bank level
Heavy Rain: Rain rates of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Rain greater than 1 inch in 24 hours
Heavy Snow: Call while snowing at a rate of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Call with total snow fall if >= 1 inch when the snow ends
Low Visibilities: Visibility less than 1/2 mile due to fog, dust, rain, or snow
Freezing Rain: Any freezing rain

EASTERN WASHINGTON REGION

FUNNEL CLOUD OR TORNADO
1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

HAIL
Pea-sized or larger

STRONG WINDS
30 mph+ or winds that produce any damage. Estimate using Beaufort chart.

HEAVY RAINFALL
0.50 inch in one hour - showery
1 inch in 12 hrs or 1.5 inches in 24 hrs – steady rain

FLOODING
Of any kind...including possible dam or levee failure. Watch for changing water
levels.

SNOW
2 inches or more – valleys
6 inches or more - mountains

MIXED PRECIPITATION
Any freezing rain or sleet

POOR VISIBILITY
One half mile or less in blowing dust or snow etc.

TRAVEL PROBLEMS DUE TO WEATHER
Conditions where poor or hazardous travel conditions observed or reported

ANY DAMAGE, INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO WEATHER
Be sure to include location, time and specific cause

SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado
Location, time and direction of movement.

Hail: Pea size or larger.

Lightning: Continuous lightning (more than 6 flashes per minute).

Heavy Rain: Half an inch or more per hour. Report heavy rain even if you are
outside a flood prone area.

Heavy Snow: Accumulations of four inches in 12 hours or one inch per hour.

Flooding: Of ANY kind, including dam or levee failure. Are waters rising or
falling?

Damaging Wind: Trees or power lines knocked down, damage to buildings, etc.
Report any wind of at least 40 mph using the Beaufort Scale.

Fog, Blowing Dust, Blowing Snow: Report initial onslaught of event when poor
visibility impacts travel.

Freezing Rain: Report initial onslaught of event when it impacts travel.
Mudslides: Any event causing damage or road closure.

NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOT LINE 877-633-6772

The National Weather Service has opened up a TOLL FREE Hotline for reporting
Severe Weather. This Hotline is for the Public as well as Trained SKYWARN
Spotters.

YOU MUST READ THE ENTIRE POST PRIOR TO REPORTING.
The number is posted at the bottom of this notice.

The National Weather Service encourages everyone to report severe weather.

HOW TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER USING THIS SYSTEM

in order to use this system you must know your,

1: Latitude Longitude by Degrees and Minutes

2: Or Zip Code

If either of these two items are not available then you must leave a very
detailed voice message at the end as to your location

What State are you in,
What County are you in,
What City are you in or closest to,
What is the nearest cross street, highway or interstate,
What mile post,
What is a well known Landmark,
What direction is the storm or event from your location
Is it still occurring,
what direction is it moving I.E. North, South, East, or West.

Be as detailed, in your report and location as possible IDENTIFY YOUR SELF WITH
YOUR NAME PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS AND CoCoRaHS Station Number
When Prompted to leave a Voice Message.

When Prompted to leave a Voice Message, Remain Calm. Make sure you are in a safe
location. The NWS would much rather not
receive a report if it puts your safety in jeopardy.
YOUR SAFETY COMES FIRST!!!

Be as descriptive as possible, include thickness of tree limbs, rainfall
amounts and any damage or weather occurrence you feel is important to report.

SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING GUIDE LINES FOR WASHINGTON STATE

WESTERN WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debris being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

TORNADO, WATERSPOUT, FUNNEL CLOUD, WALL CLOUD -

Location, time, and direction of movement. Is it still visible? Watch for
rotation in the cloud(s). Any damage?

HAIL - Pea-sized or larger. Any damage?

LIGHTNING - Frequent (4 or more per minute) cloud-to-ground lightning inforested
areas.

DAMAGING WINDS - Trees/power lines knocked down, damage to homes, etc. If you
have an anemometer, report any sustained winds over 35 MPH or gusts over 50 mph.
You Can also use the Beaufort Scale for an estimate. Note: sustained winds are a
one
minute average.

HEAVY RAIN - One-half (0.50) inch in one hour. Two inches or more in 24 hours or
less. Has it ended?

FLOODING - OF ANY KIND! Are waters rising or falling? Any damage, mud or rock
slides, and/or roads blocked?

SNOW - One inch accumulation or more in three hours. 4 inches in 12 hours or
less.

FREEZING PRECIPITATION - Any accumulation of sleet or freezing rain / drizzle.

POOR VISIBILITY - Reduced visibility adversely impacting transportation. Less
than one-half miles for DENSE FOG and BLOWING SNOW.
BLOWING DUST and VOLCANIC ASH. Less than 300 feet

SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

Wind: 50 mph or stronger
Hail: 3/4 inch (penny or dime size) or larger in diameter
Flooding: Any significant amount of water in normally dry areas
River Flooding: Any river rising above their normal bank level
Heavy Rain: Rain rates of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Rain greater than 1 inch in 24 hours
Heavy Snow: Call while snowing at a rate of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Call with total snow fall if >= 1 inch when the snow ends
Low Visibilities: Visibility less than 1/2 mile due to fog, dust, rain, or snow
Freezing Rain: Any freezing rain

EASTERN WASHINGTON REGION

FUNNEL CLOUD OR TORNADO
1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

HAIL
Pea-sized or larger

STRONG WINDS
30 mph+ or winds that produce any damage. Estimate using Beaufort chart.

HEAVY RAINFALL
0.50 inch in one hour - showery
1 inch in 12 hrs or 1.5 inches in 24 hrs – steady rain

FLOODING
Of any kind...including possible dam or levee failure. Watch for changing water
levels.

SNOW
2 inches or more – valleys
6 inches or more - mountains

MIXED PRECIPITATION
Any freezing rain or sleet

POOR VISIBILITY
One half mile or less in blowing dust or snow etc.

TRAVEL PROBLEMS DUE TO WEATHER
Conditions where poor or hazardous travel conditions observed or reported

ANY DAMAGE, INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO WEATHER
Be sure to include location, time and specific cause

SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado
Location, time and direction of movement.

Hail: Pea size or larger.

Lightning: Continuous lightning (more than 6 flashes per minute).

Heavy Rain: Half an inch or more per hour. Report heavy rain even if you are
outside a flood prone area.

Heavy Snow: Accumulations of four inches in 12 hours or one inch per hour.

Flooding: Of ANY kind, including dam or levee failure. Are waters rising or
falling?

Damaging Wind: Trees or power lines knocked down, damage to buildings, etc.
Report any wind of at least 40 mph using the Beaufort Scale.

Fog, Blowing Dust, Blowing Snow: Report initial onslaught of event when poor
visibility impacts travel.

Freezing Rain: Report initial onslaught of event when it impacts travel.
Mudslides: Any event causing damage or road closure.

NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOT LINE 877-633-6772

Dear precipitation measurers and ponderers:
   (sometimes affectionately known as "CoCoRaisins"


First, a warm welcome to everyone -- our rain gauge regulars and all of
you who are new to CoCoRaHS.  There has been a steady stream of new
recruits, especially the last couple days.  It must be the result of the
annual "March Madness" CoCoRaHS volunteer recruiting competition. In the
early going, Illinois and Kentucky are neck 'n neck in the competition
vying for the lead.

Lion or lamb

Many of you recall the old March adage "in like a lamb, out like a lion"
(or vice versa).  That folklore evolved to help remind us that spring
weather gets really, really topsy turvy.  So how did March present
itself this year.  There were a few local exceptions. but for much of
the country it arrived quite lamb like.  But look out.  Things will change.


Dust off your gauge -- it's that time.

It got up to a balmy +6 F in Williston, ND today.  Our son works up
there and seems to love it.  Their long winter continues with at least
another week of near zero weather ahead.  When he drove up yesterday, it
was +60 F when he left Colorado and -10 when he got to North Dakota.
Nice.  He doesn't mind the cold but he's looking forward to his first
Dakota "mud season".

As it continues to warm most places, you can think about putting your
funnel and inner tube back in the gauge.  This provides a quicker,
easier and more accurate rainfall measurement.  Of course, if snow is
forecast, bring the small tube and funnel back inside.

As winter has dragged on, the number of CoCoRaHS volunteers has been
fading a bit.  This is a good time to dust off and clean up your gauge
and get started again.  CoCoRaHS needs your help.


Oklahoma Extremes

Last time I wrote, a low temperature of -31F had been reported in
northeast Oklahoma (Nowata) in early February.  That number has since
been verified and is the new all-time record low for Oklahoma.
Interestingly, just seven days later that same weather station reached
+79F  -- a lovely 110 degree Oklahoma warm up.  As February drew to a
close, the temperature soared even higher reaching +90F in parts of OK.
How's that for some big changes.  Take that, San Diego.


Some reminders

Since many of us are new or are just getting started again, let's review
a few CoCoRaHS things.

Severe weather training

At this time of year, many National Weather Service offices are offering
training programs for people of all ages on how to detect and report
severe weather.  We highly recommend this training if you've never done
it before.  Go to http://www.weather.gov and click on your area and you
should be able to find a list of scheduled training classes.  Hopefully
one will be in or near your community.

CoCoRaHS reports.

Time of observation

Most of us chose 7 AM as the scheduled time for our daily observation.
That works great for the project.  The closer to 7 AM that you measure
and report, the better.  Our computer automatically fills in the
"Default" time of observation for you -- the time you selected when you
signed up.  But if you don't do your measurement until 8:15 or 9:30 AM
or whatever, remember to type in the actual time you read and emptied
the gauge.  Don't just leave the default value on the form.  On dry days
it doesn't matter, but when it's raining near then time of your daily
observation then it really matters just when you check and empty that
gauge.  So be sure to type in your actual observation time if different
from the default.

Total Snow Depth

This is a data field on our regular daily precipitation report form.  A
lot of you leave this field blank.  That's OK, but if you know there is
no snow on the ground, it's great if you type in zero for the total snow
depth.  The presence or absence of snow on the ground has big effects on
temperatures and other aspects.  So if you have some snow on the ground
-- with at least half the ground covered, then please take a reasonable
estimate of the average depth and report that amount.  A surprising
number of forecasters and other scientists really want to know how much
snow is left on the ground even if there hasn't been any new snow in
days -- especially this time of year.

Significant Weather Reports

These "supplemental" reports are really useful.  Regardless of the time
of day or night, if it's been pouring rain or snow, or doing anything
else that you think the National Weather Service should know about, then
please take a minute and send in a special "Significant Weather Report".
   By submitting a "Significant Weather Report" you immediately and
automatically notify the NWS weather forecasters on duty at your local
NWS office.

To submit a "Significant Weather Report" log into the CoCoRaHS data
entry website and then click "My Data".  Your normal "Daily
Precipitation " report form will appear. Instead click on "Significant
Weather" under the menu that appears to the upper left under "Enter my
new reports."  The "Significant Weather Report" form will appear.  Fill
it out as best you can.  You don't have to fill out every blank.  Then
hit "Submit"  Immediately your local National Weather Service forecast
office will receive that special report on their computers.

Hail reports

Likewise, there is a special report form for reporting hail. It's in the
same general area.

http://www.cocorahs.org/Admin/MyDataEntry/HailReport.aspx

If it is hailing or has just stopped hailing, please use this form to
report this information.  The data will appear on our "Hail" maps but
the reports will also be immediately forwarded to the appropriate NWS
office.

Drought Impact report

Same idea.  Use this form to report persisting dry conditions that are
beginning or continuing to have negative impacts in your area.

Zeros

Yes, this question comes up so often.  Do I need to report "zero" every
day that it doesn't rain?  The answer goes like this.  You are a
volunteer.  Only you know how much time you have to spare, so spare what
you want to.  But if you can, please report your zeros.  Without that
zero report, we'll never know for sure.  So if you can, please take the
extra few seconds to log on and click the "submit" button to send in
your zero report.  Also, remember the "Monthly Zeros" report to fill in
zeros a month at a time.  This tool also lets you view your daily
reports on a calendar page format.



Finally, report the  "Snow Water Equivalent" (SWE) measurements if you
can (remember SWE Mondays!!) especially in the mountains and across the
northern tier of states.  Put it all together and alas -- valuable and
much appreciated data.  Keep it up -- and if you've never started taking
precipitaton measurements, this would  be a great time with spring just
ahead.


The tiniest egg

Our hens have taken it easy this winter with hardly any egg laying for a
few weeks.  Then, just recently, the egg laying has begun again.
Friday -- when it was cold and snowy -- we had our first 3-egg day in
many weeks.  Now we're up to 4 or five.  We'll have a few eggs to sell
soon.  The odd thing about it was that first three-egg day, one egg was
huge, one was normal sized and one was only about the size of my
fingernail -- smaller than a robin's egg.  I've never seen our hens do
that before.

Two chicks and a Siamese

Somehow animals beget more animals.  We don't even have a rooster, and
yet we suddenly have baby chicks.  When you have an old farm with
animals near the city like we do, people somehow know about it.  A
friend of a friend couldn't resist the little peeps down at the feed
store a couple weeks ago and ended up taking two home. Two weeks later,
reality set in and they realized they wanted to take a trip and had no
place for chickens.  They pondered the situation  -- probably for only 5
seconds, and the next thing we know they are over for a friendly visit
-- and to drop off some chicks.  Then, the next day arrived and another
friend shows up to give us an old Siamese cat.  Again, someone with a
good idea just couldn't make it work and they ended up with an animal
they couldn't take care of.  So .. within hours, it was ours.  All very
interesting.

Enjoy March.  Measure well.

Nolan Doesken
Colorado State University

The National Weather Service has opened up a TOLL FREE Hotline for reporting
Severe Weather. This Hotline is for the Public as well as Trained SKYWARN
Spotters.

YOU MUST READ THE ENTIRE POST PRIOR TO REPORTING.
The number is posted at the bottom of this notice.

The National Weather Service encourages everyone to report severe weather.

HOW TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER USING THIS SYSTEM

in order to use this system you must know your,

1: Latitude Longitude by Degrees and Minutes

2: Or Zip Code

If either of these two items are not available then you must leave a very
detailed voice message at the end as to your location

What State are you in,
What County are you in,
What City are you in or closest to,
What is the nearest cross street, highway or interstate,
What mile post,
What is a well known Landmark,
What direction is the storm or event from your location
Is it still occurring,
what direction is it moving I.E. North, South, East, or West.

Be as detailed, in your report and location as possible IDENTIFY YOUR SELF WITH
YOUR NAME PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS AND CoCoRaHS Station Number
When Prompted to leave a Voice Message.

When Prompted to leave a Voice Message, Remain Calm. Make sure you are in a safe
location. The NWS would much rather not
receive a report if it puts your safety in jeopardy.
YOUR SAFETY COMES FIRST!!!

Be as descriptive as possible, include thickness of tree limbs, rainfall
amounts and any damage or weather occurrence you feel is important to report.

SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING GUIDE LINES FOR WASHINGTON STATE

WESTERN WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debris being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

TORNADO, WATERSPOUT, FUNNEL CLOUD, WALL CLOUD -

Location, time, and direction of movement. Is it still visible? Watch for
rotation in the cloud(s). Any damage?

HAIL - Pea-sized or larger. Any damage?

LIGHTNING - Frequent (4 or more per minute) cloud-to-ground lightning inforested
areas.

DAMAGING WINDS - Trees/power lines knocked down, damage to homes, etc. If you
have an anemometer, report any sustained winds over 35 MPH or gusts over 50 mph.
You Can also use the Beaufort Scale for an estimate. Note: sustained winds are a
one
minute average.

HEAVY RAIN - One-half (0.50) inch in one hour. Two inches or more in 24 hours or
less. Has it ended?

FLOODING - OF ANY KIND! Are waters rising or falling? Any damage, mud or rock
slides, and/or roads blocked?

SNOW - One inch accumulation or more in three hours. 4 inches in 12 hours or
less.

FREEZING PRECIPITATION - Any accumulation of sleet or freezing rain / drizzle.

POOR VISIBILITY - Reduced visibility adversely impacting transportation. Less
than one-half miles for DENSE FOG and BLOWING SNOW.
BLOWING DUST and VOLCANIC ASH. Less than 300 feet

SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

Wind: 50 mph or stronger
Hail: 3/4 inch (penny or dime size) or larger in diameter
Flooding: Any significant amount of water in normally dry areas
River Flooding: Any river rising above their normal bank level
Heavy Rain: Rain rates of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Rain greater than 1 inch in 24 hours
Heavy Snow: Call while snowing at a rate of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Call with total snow fall if >= 1 inch when the snow ends
Low Visibilities: Visibility less than 1/2 mile due to fog, dust, rain, or snow
Freezing Rain: Any freezing rain

EASTERN WASHINGTON REGION

FUNNEL CLOUD OR TORNADO
1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

HAIL
Pea-sized or larger

STRONG WINDS
30 mph+ or winds that produce any damage. Estimate using Beaufort chart.

HEAVY RAINFALL
0.50 inch in one hour - showery
1 inch in 12 hrs or 1.5 inches in 24 hrs – steady rain

FLOODING
Of any kind...including possible dam or levee failure. Watch for changing water
levels.

SNOW
2 inches or more – valleys
6 inches or more - mountains

MIXED PRECIPITATION
Any freezing rain or sleet

POOR VISIBILITY
One half mile or less in blowing dust or snow etc.

TRAVEL PROBLEMS DUE TO WEATHER
Conditions where poor or hazardous travel conditions observed or reported

ANY DAMAGE, INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO WEATHER
Be sure to include location, time and specific cause

SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado
Location, time and direction of movement.

Hail: Pea size or larger.

Lightning: Continuous lightning (more than 6 flashes per minute).

Heavy Rain: Half an inch or more per hour. Report heavy rain even if you are
outside a flood prone area.

Heavy Snow: Accumulations of four inches in 12 hours or one inch per hour.

Flooding: Of ANY kind, including dam or levee failure. Are waters rising or
falling?

Damaging Wind: Trees or power lines knocked down, damage to buildings, etc.
Report any wind of at least 40 mph using the Beaufort Scale.

Fog, Blowing Dust, Blowing Snow: Report initial onslaught of event when poor
visibility impacts travel.

Freezing Rain: Report initial onslaught of event when it impacts travel.
Mudslides: Any event causing damage or road closure.

NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOT LINE 877-633-6772

The National Weather Service has opened up a TOLL FREE Hotline for reporting
Severe Weather. This Hotline is for the Public as well as Trained SKYWARN
Spotters.

YOU MUST READ THE ENTIRE POST PRIOR TO REPORTING.
The number is posted at the bottom of this notice.

The National Weather Service encourages everyone to report severe weather.

HOW TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER USING THIS SYSTEM

in order to use this system you must know your,

1: Latitude Longitude by Degrees and Minutes

2: Or Zip Code

If either of these two items are not available then you must leave a very
detailed voice message at the end as to your location

What State are you in,
What County are you in,
What City are you in or closest to,
What is the nearest cross street, highway or interstate,
What mile post,
What is a well known Landmark,
What direction is the storm or event from your location
Is it still occurring,
what direction is it moving I.E. North, South, East, or West.

Be as detailed, in your report and location as possible IDENTIFY YOUR SELF WITH
YOUR NAME PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS AND CoCoRaHS Station Number
When Prompted to leave a Voice Message.

When Prompted to leave a Voice Message, Remain Calm. Make sure you are in a safe
location. The NWS would much rather not
receive a report if it puts your safety in jeopardy.
YOUR SAFETY COMES FIRST!!!

Be as descriptive as possible, include thickness of tree limbs, rainfall
amounts and any damage or weather occurrence you feel is important to report.

SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING GUIDE LINES FOR WASHINGTON STATE

WESTERN WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debris being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

TORNADO, WATERSPOUT, FUNNEL CLOUD, WALL CLOUD -

Location, time, and direction of movement. Is it still visible? Watch for
rotation in the cloud(s). Any damage?

HAIL - Pea-sized or larger. Any damage?

LIGHTNING - Frequent (4 or more per minute) cloud-to-ground lightning inforested
areas.

DAMAGING WINDS - Trees/power lines knocked down, damage to homes, etc. If you
have an anemometer, report any sustained winds over 35 MPH or gusts over 50 mph.
You Can also use the Beaufort Scale for an estimate. Note: sustained winds are a
one
minute average.

HEAVY RAIN - One-half (0.50) inch in one hour. Two inches or more in 24 hours or
less. Has it ended?

FLOODING - OF ANY KIND! Are waters rising or falling? Any damage, mud or rock
slides, and/or roads blocked?

SNOW - One inch accumulation or more in three hours. 4 inches in 12 hours or
less.

FREEZING PRECIPITATION - Any accumulation of sleet or freezing rain / drizzle.

POOR VISIBILITY - Reduced visibility adversely impacting transportation. Less
than one-half miles for DENSE FOG and BLOWING SNOW.
BLOWING DUST and VOLCANIC ASH. Less than 300 feet

SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

Wind: 50 mph or stronger
Hail: 3/4 inch (penny or dime size) or larger in diameter
Flooding: Any significant amount of water in normally dry areas
River Flooding: Any river rising above their normal bank level
Heavy Rain: Rain rates of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Rain greater than 1 inch in 24 hours
Heavy Snow: Call while snowing at a rate of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Call with total snow fall if >= 1 inch when the snow ends
Low Visibilities: Visibility less than 1/2 mile due to fog, dust, rain, or snow
Freezing Rain: Any freezing rain

EASTERN WASHINGTON REGION

FUNNEL CLOUD OR TORNADO
1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

HAIL
Pea-sized or larger

STRONG WINDS
30 mph+ or winds that produce any damage. Estimate using Beaufort chart.

HEAVY RAINFALL
0.50 inch in one hour - showery
1 inch in 12 hrs or 1.5 inches in 24 hrs – steady rain

FLOODING
Of any kind...including possible dam or levee failure. Watch for changing water
levels.

SNOW
2 inches or more – valleys
6 inches or more - mountains

MIXED PRECIPITATION
Any freezing rain or sleet

POOR VISIBILITY
One half mile or less in blowing dust or snow etc.

TRAVEL PROBLEMS DUE TO WEATHER
Conditions where poor or hazardous travel conditions observed or reported

ANY DAMAGE, INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO WEATHER
Be sure to include location, time and specific cause

SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado
Location, time and direction of movement.

Hail: Pea size or larger.

Lightning: Continuous lightning (more than 6 flashes per minute).

Heavy Rain: Half an inch or more per hour. Report heavy rain even if you are
outside a flood prone area.

Heavy Snow: Accumulations of four inches in 12 hours or one inch per hour.

Flooding: Of ANY kind, including dam or levee failure. Are waters rising or
falling?

Damaging Wind: Trees or power lines knocked down, damage to buildings, etc.
Report any wind of at least 40 mph using the Beaufort Scale.

Fog, Blowing Dust, Blowing Snow: Report initial onslaught of event when poor
visibility impacts travel.

Freezing Rain: Report initial onslaught of event when it impacts travel.
Mudslides: Any event causing damage or road closure.

NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOT LINE 877-633-6772

----- Original Message ----- Why do I  keep getting this notice????????????
From: <cocorahs_wa@yahoogroups.com>
To: <cocorahs_wa@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 20, 2011 7:28 AM
Subject: [cocorahs_wa] File - NWS NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOTLINE



The National Weather Service has opened up a TOLL FREE Hotline for reporting
Severe Weather. This Hotline is for the Public as well as Trained SKYWARN
Spotters.

YOU MUST READ THE ENTIRE POST PRIOR TO REPORTING.
The number is posted at the bottom of this notice.

The National Weather Service encourages everyone to report severe weather.

HOW TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER USING THIS SYSTEM

in order to use this system you must know your,

1: Latitude Longitude by Degrees and Minutes

2: Or Zip Code

If either of these two items are not available then you must leave a very
detailed voice message at the end as to your location

What State are you in,
What County are you in,
What City are you in or closest to,
What is the nearest cross street, highway or interstate,
What mile post,
What is a well known Landmark,
What direction is the storm or event from your location
Is it still occurring,
what direction is it moving I.E. North, South, East, or West.

Be as detailed, in your report and location as possible IDENTIFY YOUR SELF
WITH
YOUR NAME PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS AND CoCoRaHS Station Number
When Prompted to leave a Voice Message.

When Prompted to leave a Voice Message, Remain Calm. Make sure you are in a
safe location. The NWS would much rather not
receive a report if it puts your safety in jeopardy.
YOUR SAFETY COMES FIRST!!!

Be as descriptive as possible, include thickness of tree limbs, rainfall
amounts and any damage or weather occurrence you feel is important to
report.

SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING GUIDE LINES FOR WASHINGTON STATE

WESTERN WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground
and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debris being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact
with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if
there
is then it is a Tornado

TORNADO, WATERSPOUT, FUNNEL CLOUD, WALL CLOUD -

Location, time, and direction of movement. Is it still visible? Watch for
rotation in the cloud(s). Any damage?

HAIL - Pea-sized or larger. Any damage?

LIGHTNING - Frequent (4 or more per minute) cloud-to-ground lightning
inforested
areas.

DAMAGING WINDS - Trees/power lines knocked down, damage to homes, etc. If
you
have an anemometer, report any sustained winds over 35 MPH or gusts over 50
mph.
You Can also use the Beaufort Scale for an estimate. Note: sustained winds
are a
one
minute average.

HEAVY RAIN - One-half (0.50) inch in one hour. Two inches or more in 24
hours or
less. Has it ended?

FLOODING - OF ANY KIND! Are waters rising or falling? Any damage, mud or
rock
slides, and/or roads blocked?

SNOW - One inch accumulation or more in three hours. 4 inches in 12 hours or
less.

FREEZING PRECIPITATION - Any accumulation of sleet or freezing rain /
drizzle.

POOR VISIBILITY - Reduced visibility adversely impacting transportation.
Less
than one-half miles for DENSE FOG and BLOWING SNOW.
BLOWING DUST and VOLCANIC ASH. Less than 300 feet

SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground
and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact
with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if
there
is then it is a Tornado

Wind: 50 mph or stronger
Hail: 3/4 inch (penny or dime size) or larger in diameter
Flooding: Any significant amount of water in normally dry areas
River Flooding: Any river rising above their normal bank level
Heavy Rain: Rain rates of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Rain greater than 1 inch in 24 hours
Heavy Snow: Call while snowing at a rate of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Call with total snow fall if >= 1 inch when the snow ends
Low Visibilities: Visibility less than 1/2 mile due to fog, dust, rain, or
snow
Freezing Rain: Any freezing rain

EASTERN WASHINGTON REGION

FUNNEL CLOUD OR TORNADO
1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground
and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact
with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if
there
is then it is a Tornado

HAIL
Pea-sized or larger

STRONG WINDS
30 mph+ or winds that produce any damage. Estimate using Beaufort chart.

HEAVY RAINFALL
0.50 inch in one hour - showery
1 inch in 12 hrs or 1.5 inches in 24 hrs - steady rain

FLOODING
Of any kind...including possible dam or levee failure. Watch for changing
water
levels.

SNOW
2 inches or more - valleys
6 inches or more - mountains

MIXED PRECIPITATION
Any freezing rain or sleet

POOR VISIBILITY
One half mile or less in blowing dust or snow etc.

TRAVEL PROBLEMS DUE TO WEATHER
Conditions where poor or hazardous travel conditions observed or reported

ANY DAMAGE, INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO WEATHER
Be sure to include location, time and specific cause

SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground
and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact
with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if
there
is then it is a Tornado
Location, time and direction of movement.

Hail: Pea size or larger.

Lightning: Continuous lightning (more than 6 flashes per minute).

Heavy Rain: Half an inch or more per hour. Report heavy rain even if you are
outside a flood prone area.

Heavy Snow: Accumulations of four inches in 12 hours or one inch per hour.

Flooding: Of ANY kind, including dam or levee failure. Are waters rising or
falling?

Damaging Wind: Trees or power lines knocked down, damage to buildings, etc.
Report any wind of at least 40 mph using the Beaufort Scale.

Fog, Blowing Dust, Blowing Snow: Report initial onslaught of event when poor
visibility impacts travel.

Freezing Rain: Report initial onslaught of event when it impacts travel.
Mudslides: Any event causing damage or road closure.

NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOT LINE 877-633-6772


------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

The National Weather Service has opened up a TOLL FREE Hotline for reporting
Severe Weather. This Hotline is for the Public as well as Trained SKYWARN
Spotters.

YOU MUST READ THE ENTIRE POST PRIOR TO REPORTING.
The number is posted at the bottom of this notice.

The National Weather Service encourages everyone to report severe weather.

HOW TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER USING THIS SYSTEM

in order to use this system you must know your,

1: Latitude Longitude by Degrees and Minutes

2: Or Zip Code

If either of these two items are not available then you must leave a very
detailed voice message at the end as to your location

What State are you in,
What County are you in,
What City are you in or closest to,
What is the nearest cross street, highway or interstate,
What mile post,
What is a well known Landmark,
What direction is the storm or event from your location
Is it still occurring,
what direction is it moving I.E. North, South, East, or West.

Be as detailed, in your report and location as possible IDENTIFY YOUR SELF WITH
YOUR NAME PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS AND CoCoRaHS Station Number
When Prompted to leave a Voice Message.

When Prompted to leave a Voice Message, Remain Calm. Make sure you are in a safe
location. The NWS would much rather not
receive a report if it puts your safety in jeopardy.
YOUR SAFETY COMES FIRST!!!

Be as descriptive as possible, include thickness of tree limbs, rainfall
amounts and any damage or weather occurrence you feel is important to report.

SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING GUIDE LINES FOR WASHINGTON STATE

WESTERN WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debris being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

TORNADO, WATERSPOUT, FUNNEL CLOUD, WALL CLOUD -

Location, time, and direction of movement. Is it still visible? Watch for
rotation in the cloud(s). Any damage?

HAIL - Pea-sized or larger. Any damage?

LIGHTNING - Frequent (4 or more per minute) cloud-to-ground lightning inforested
areas.

DAMAGING WINDS - Trees/power lines knocked down, damage to homes, etc. If you
have an anemometer, report any sustained winds over 35 MPH or gusts over 50 mph.
You Can also use the Beaufort Scale for an estimate. Note: sustained winds are a
one
minute average.

HEAVY RAIN - One-half (0.50) inch in one hour. Two inches or more in 24 hours or
less. Has it ended?

FLOODING - OF ANY KIND! Are waters rising or falling? Any damage, mud or rock
slides, and/or roads blocked?

SNOW - One inch accumulation or more in three hours. 4 inches in 12 hours or
less.

FREEZING PRECIPITATION - Any accumulation of sleet or freezing rain / drizzle.

POOR VISIBILITY - Reduced visibility adversely impacting transportation. Less
than one-half miles for DENSE FOG and BLOWING SNOW.
BLOWING DUST and VOLCANIC ASH. Less than 300 feet

SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

Wind: 50 mph or stronger
Hail: 3/4 inch (penny or dime size) or larger in diameter
Flooding: Any significant amount of water in normally dry areas
River Flooding: Any river rising above their normal bank level
Heavy Rain: Rain rates of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Rain greater than 1 inch in 24 hours
Heavy Snow: Call while snowing at a rate of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Call with total snow fall if >= 1 inch when the snow ends
Low Visibilities: Visibility less than 1/2 mile due to fog, dust, rain, or snow
Freezing Rain: Any freezing rain

EASTERN WASHINGTON REGION

FUNNEL CLOUD OR TORNADO
1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

HAIL
Pea-sized or larger

STRONG WINDS
30 mph+ or winds that produce any damage. Estimate using Beaufort chart.

HEAVY RAINFALL
0.50 inch in one hour - showery
1 inch in 12 hrs or 1.5 inches in 24 hrs – steady rain

FLOODING
Of any kind...including possible dam or levee failure. Watch for changing water
levels.

SNOW
2 inches or more – valleys
6 inches or more - mountains

MIXED PRECIPITATION
Any freezing rain or sleet

POOR VISIBILITY
One half mile or less in blowing dust or snow etc.

TRAVEL PROBLEMS DUE TO WEATHER
Conditions where poor or hazardous travel conditions observed or reported

ANY DAMAGE, INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO WEATHER
Be sure to include location, time and specific cause

SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado
Location, time and direction of movement.

Hail: Pea size or larger.

Lightning: Continuous lightning (more than 6 flashes per minute).

Heavy Rain: Half an inch or more per hour. Report heavy rain even if you are
outside a flood prone area.

Heavy Snow: Accumulations of four inches in 12 hours or one inch per hour.

Flooding: Of ANY kind, including dam or levee failure. Are waters rising or
falling?

Damaging Wind: Trees or power lines knocked down, damage to buildings, etc.
Report any wind of at least 40 mph using the Beaufort Scale.

Fog, Blowing Dust, Blowing Snow: Report initial onslaught of event when poor
visibility impacts travel.

Freezing Rain: Report initial onslaught of event when it impacts travel.
Mudslides: Any event causing damage or road closure.

NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOT LINE 877-633-6772

The National Weather Service has opened up a TOLL FREE Hotline for reporting
Severe Weather. This Hotline is for the Public as well as Trained SKYWARN
Spotters.

YOU MUST READ THE ENTIRE POST PRIOR TO REPORTING.
The number is posted at the bottom of this notice.

The National Weather Service encourages everyone to report severe weather.

HOW TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER USING THIS SYSTEM

in order to use this system you must know your,

1: Latitude Longitude by Degrees and Minutes

2: Or Zip Code

If either of these two items are not available then you must leave a very
detailed voice message at the end as to your location

What State are you in,
What County are you in,
What City are you in or closest to,
What is the nearest cross street, highway or interstate,
What mile post,
What is a well known Landmark,
What direction is the storm or event from your location
Is it still occurring,
what direction is it moving I.E. North, South, East, or West.

Be as detailed, in your report and location as possible IDENTIFY YOUR SELF WITH
YOUR NAME PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS AND CoCoRaHS Station Number
When Prompted to leave a Voice Message.

When Prompted to leave a Voice Message, Remain Calm. Make sure you are in a safe
location. The NWS would much rather not
receive a report if it puts your safety in jeopardy.
YOUR SAFETY COMES FIRST!!!

Be as descriptive as possible, include thickness of tree limbs, rainfall
amounts and any damage or weather occurrence you feel is important to report.

SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING GUIDE LINES FOR WASHINGTON STATE

WESTERN WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debris being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

TORNADO, WATERSPOUT, FUNNEL CLOUD, WALL CLOUD -

Location, time, and direction of movement. Is it still visible? Watch for
rotation in the cloud(s). Any damage?

HAIL - Pea-sized or larger. Any damage?

LIGHTNING - Frequent (4 or more per minute) cloud-to-ground lightning inforested
areas.

DAMAGING WINDS - Trees/power lines knocked down, damage to homes, etc. If you
have an anemometer, report any sustained winds over 35 MPH or gusts over 50 mph.
You Can also use the Beaufort Scale for an estimate. Note: sustained winds are a
one
minute average.

HEAVY RAIN - One-half (0.50) inch in one hour. Two inches or more in 24 hours or
less. Has it ended?

FLOODING - OF ANY KIND! Are waters rising or falling? Any damage, mud or rock
slides, and/or roads blocked?

SNOW - One inch accumulation or more in three hours. 4 inches in 12 hours or
less.

FREEZING PRECIPITATION - Any accumulation of sleet or freezing rain / drizzle.

POOR VISIBILITY - Reduced visibility adversely impacting transportation. Less
than one-half miles for DENSE FOG and BLOWING SNOW.
BLOWING DUST and VOLCANIC ASH. Less than 300 feet

SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

Wind: 50 mph or stronger
Hail: 3/4 inch (penny or dime size) or larger in diameter
Flooding: Any significant amount of water in normally dry areas
River Flooding: Any river rising above their normal bank level
Heavy Rain: Rain rates of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Rain greater than 1 inch in 24 hours
Heavy Snow: Call while snowing at a rate of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Call with total snow fall if >= 1 inch when the snow ends
Low Visibilities: Visibility less than 1/2 mile due to fog, dust, rain, or snow
Freezing Rain: Any freezing rain

EASTERN WASHINGTON REGION

FUNNEL CLOUD OR TORNADO
1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

HAIL
Pea-sized or larger

STRONG WINDS
30 mph+ or winds that produce any damage. Estimate using Beaufort chart.

HEAVY RAINFALL
0.50 inch in one hour - showery
1 inch in 12 hrs or 1.5 inches in 24 hrs – steady rain

FLOODING
Of any kind...including possible dam or levee failure. Watch for changing water
levels.

SNOW
2 inches or more – valleys
6 inches or more - mountains

MIXED PRECIPITATION
Any freezing rain or sleet

POOR VISIBILITY
One half mile or less in blowing dust or snow etc.

TRAVEL PROBLEMS DUE TO WEATHER
Conditions where poor or hazardous travel conditions observed or reported

ANY DAMAGE, INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO WEATHER
Be sure to include location, time and specific cause

SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado
Location, time and direction of movement.

Hail: Pea size or larger.

Lightning: Continuous lightning (more than 6 flashes per minute).

Heavy Rain: Half an inch or more per hour. Report heavy rain even if you are
outside a flood prone area.

Heavy Snow: Accumulations of four inches in 12 hours or one inch per hour.

Flooding: Of ANY kind, including dam or levee failure. Are waters rising or
falling?

Damaging Wind: Trees or power lines knocked down, damage to buildings, etc.
Report any wind of at least 40 mph using the Beaufort Scale.

Fog, Blowing Dust, Blowing Snow: Report initial onslaught of event when poor
visibility impacts travel.

Freezing Rain: Report initial onslaught of event when it impacts travel.
Mudslides: Any event causing damage or road closure.

NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOT LINE 877-633-6772

----- Original Message -----
From: <cocorahs_wa@yahoogroups.com   Why do you send this to me every month
or more? I should think once a year would be sufficient.  Richard
To: <cocorahs_wa@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 17, 2011 7:33 AM
Subject: [cocorahs_wa] File - NWS NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOTLINE



The National Weather Service has opened up a TOLL FREE Hotline for reporting
Severe Weather. This Hotline is for the Public as well as Trained SKYWARN
Spotters.

YOU MUST READ THE ENTIRE POST PRIOR TO REPORTING.
The number is posted at the bottom of this notice.

The National Weather Service encourages everyone to report severe weather.

HOW TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER USING THIS SYSTEM

in order to use this system you must know your,

1: Latitude Longitude by Degrees and Minutes

2: Or Zip Code

If either of these two items are not available then you must leave a very
detailed voice message at the end as to your location

What State are you in,
What County are you in,
What City are you in or closest to,
What is the nearest cross street, highway or interstate,
What mile post,
What is a well known Landmark,
What direction is the storm or event from your location
Is it still occurring,
what direction is it moving I.E. North, South, East, or West.

Be as detailed, in your report and location as possible IDENTIFY YOUR SELF
WITH
YOUR NAME PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS AND CoCoRaHS Station Number
When Prompted to leave a Voice Message.

When Prompted to leave a Voice Message, Remain Calm. Make sure you are in a
safe location. The NWS would much rather not
receive a report if it puts your safety in jeopardy.
YOUR SAFETY COMES FIRST!!!

Be as descriptive as possible, include thickness of tree limbs, rainfall
amounts and any damage or weather occurrence you feel is important to
report.

SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING GUIDE LINES FOR WASHINGTON STATE

WESTERN WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground
and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debris being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact
with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if
there
is then it is a Tornado

TORNADO, WATERSPOUT, FUNNEL CLOUD, WALL CLOUD -

Location, time, and direction of movement. Is it still visible? Watch for
rotation in the cloud(s). Any damage?

HAIL - Pea-sized or larger. Any damage?

LIGHTNING - Frequent (4 or more per minute) cloud-to-ground lightning
inforested
areas.

DAMAGING WINDS - Trees/power lines knocked down, damage to homes, etc. If
you
have an anemometer, report any sustained winds over 35 MPH or gusts over 50
mph.
You Can also use the Beaufort Scale for an estimate. Note: sustained winds
are a
one
minute average.

HEAVY RAIN - One-half (0.50) inch in one hour. Two inches or more in 24
hours or
less. Has it ended?

FLOODING - OF ANY KIND! Are waters rising or falling? Any damage, mud or
rock
slides, and/or roads blocked?

SNOW - One inch accumulation or more in three hours. 4 inches in 12 hours or
less.

FREEZING PRECIPITATION - Any accumulation of sleet or freezing rain /
drizzle.

POOR VISIBILITY - Reduced visibility adversely impacting transportation.
Less
than one-half miles for DENSE FOG and BLOWING SNOW.
BLOWING DUST and VOLCANIC ASH. Less than 300 feet

SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground
and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact
with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if
there
is then it is a Tornado

Wind: 50 mph or stronger
Hail: 3/4 inch (penny or dime size) or larger in diameter
Flooding: Any significant amount of water in normally dry areas
River Flooding: Any river rising above their normal bank level
Heavy Rain: Rain rates of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Rain greater than 1 inch in 24 hours
Heavy Snow: Call while snowing at a rate of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Call with total snow fall if >= 1 inch when the snow ends
Low Visibilities: Visibility less than 1/2 mile due to fog, dust, rain, or
snow
Freezing Rain: Any freezing rain

EASTERN WASHINGTON REGION

FUNNEL CLOUD OR TORNADO
1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground
and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact
with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if
there
is then it is a Tornado

HAIL
Pea-sized or larger

STRONG WINDS
30 mph+ or winds that produce any damage. Estimate using Beaufort chart.

HEAVY RAINFALL
0.50 inch in one hour - showery
1 inch in 12 hrs or 1.5 inches in 24 hrs - steady rain

FLOODING
Of any kind...including possible dam or levee failure. Watch for changing
water
levels.

SNOW
2 inches or more - valleys
6 inches or more - mountains

MIXED PRECIPITATION
Any freezing rain or sleet

POOR VISIBILITY
One half mile or less in blowing dust or snow etc.

TRAVEL PROBLEMS DUE TO WEATHER
Conditions where poor or hazardous travel conditions observed or reported

ANY DAMAGE, INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO WEATHER
Be sure to include location, time and specific cause

SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground
and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact
with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if
there
is then it is a Tornado
Location, time and direction of movement.

Hail: Pea size or larger.

Lightning: Continuous lightning (more than 6 flashes per minute).

Heavy Rain: Half an inch or more per hour. Report heavy rain even if you are
outside a flood prone area.

Heavy Snow: Accumulations of four inches in 12 hours or one inch per hour.

Flooding: Of ANY kind, including dam or levee failure. Are waters rising or
falling?

Damaging Wind: Trees or power lines knocked down, damage to buildings, etc.
Report any wind of at least 40 mph using the Beaufort Scale.

Fog, Blowing Dust, Blowing Snow: Report initial onslaught of event when poor
visibility impacts travel.

Freezing Rain: Report initial onslaught of event when it impacts travel.
Mudslides: Any event causing damage or road closure.

NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOT LINE 877-633-6772


------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

The National Weather Service has opened up a TOLL FREE Hotline for reporting
Severe Weather. This Hotline is for the Public as well as Trained SKYWARN
Spotters.

YOU MUST READ THE ENTIRE POST PRIOR TO REPORTING.
The number is posted at the bottom of this notice.

The National Weather Service encourages everyone to report severe weather.

HOW TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER USING THIS SYSTEM

in order to use this system you must know your,

1: Latitude Longitude by Degrees and Minutes

2: Or Zip Code

If either of these two items are not available then you must leave a very
detailed voice message at the end as to your location

What State are you in,
What County are you in,
What City are you in or closest to,
What is the nearest cross street, highway or interstate,
What mile post,
What is a well known Landmark,
What direction is the storm or event from your location
Is it still occurring,
what direction is it moving I.E. North, South, East, or West.

Be as detailed, in your report and location as possible IDENTIFY YOUR SELF WITH
YOUR NAME PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS AND CoCoRaHS Station Number
When Prompted to leave a Voice Message.

When Prompted to leave a Voice Message, Remain Calm. Make sure you are in a safe
location. The NWS would much rather not
receive a report if it puts your safety in jeopardy.
YOUR SAFETY COMES FIRST!!!

Be as descriptive as possible, include thickness of tree limbs, rainfall
amounts and any damage or weather occurrence you feel is important to report.

SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING GUIDE LINES FOR WASHINGTON STATE

WESTERN WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debris being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

TORNADO, WATERSPOUT, FUNNEL CLOUD, WALL CLOUD -

Location, time, and direction of movement. Is it still visible? Watch for
rotation in the cloud(s). Any damage?

HAIL - Pea-sized or larger. Any damage?

LIGHTNING - Frequent (4 or more per minute) cloud-to-ground lightning inforested
areas.

DAMAGING WINDS - Trees/power lines knocked down, damage to homes, etc. If you
have an anemometer, report any sustained winds over 35 MPH or gusts over 50 mph.
You Can also use the Beaufort Scale for an estimate. Note: sustained winds are a
one
minute average.

HEAVY RAIN - One-half (0.50) inch in one hour. Two inches or more in 24 hours or
less. Has it ended?

FLOODING - OF ANY KIND! Are waters rising or falling? Any damage, mud or rock
slides, and/or roads blocked?

SNOW - One inch accumulation or more in three hours. 4 inches in 12 hours or
less.

FREEZING PRECIPITATION - Any accumulation of sleet or freezing rain / drizzle.

POOR VISIBILITY - Reduced visibility adversely impacting transportation. Less
than one-half miles for DENSE FOG and BLOWING SNOW.
BLOWING DUST and VOLCANIC ASH. Less than 300 feet

SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

Wind: 50 mph or stronger
Hail: 3/4 inch (penny or dime size) or larger in diameter
Flooding: Any significant amount of water in normally dry areas
River Flooding: Any river rising above their normal bank level
Heavy Rain: Rain rates of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Rain greater than 1 inch in 24 hours
Heavy Snow: Call while snowing at a rate of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Call with total snow fall if >= 1 inch when the snow ends
Low Visibilities: Visibility less than 1/2 mile due to fog, dust, rain, or snow
Freezing Rain: Any freezing rain

EASTERN WASHINGTON REGION

FUNNEL CLOUD OR TORNADO
1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

HAIL
Pea-sized or larger

STRONG WINDS
30 mph+ or winds that produce any damage. Estimate using Beaufort chart.

HEAVY RAINFALL
0.50 inch in one hour - showery
1 inch in 12 hrs or 1.5 inches in 24 hrs – steady rain

FLOODING
Of any kind...including possible dam or levee failure. Watch for changing water
levels.

SNOW
2 inches or more – valleys
6 inches or more - mountains

MIXED PRECIPITATION
Any freezing rain or sleet

POOR VISIBILITY
One half mile or less in blowing dust or snow etc.

TRAVEL PROBLEMS DUE TO WEATHER
Conditions where poor or hazardous travel conditions observed or reported

ANY DAMAGE, INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO WEATHER
Be sure to include location, time and specific cause

SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado
Location, time and direction of movement.

Hail: Pea size or larger.

Lightning: Continuous lightning (more than 6 flashes per minute).

Heavy Rain: Half an inch or more per hour. Report heavy rain even if you are
outside a flood prone area.

Heavy Snow: Accumulations of four inches in 12 hours or one inch per hour.

Flooding: Of ANY kind, including dam or levee failure. Are waters rising or
falling?

Damaging Wind: Trees or power lines knocked down, damage to buildings, etc.
Report any wind of at least 40 mph using the Beaufort Scale.

Fog, Blowing Dust, Blowing Snow: Report initial onslaught of event when poor
visibility impacts travel.

Freezing Rain: Report initial onslaught of event when it impacts travel.
Mudslides: Any event causing damage or road closure.

NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOT LINE 877-633-6772

The National Weather Service has opened up a TOLL FREE Hotline for reporting
Severe Weather. This Hotline is for the Public as well as Trained SKYWARN
Spotters.

YOU MUST READ THE ENTIRE POST PRIOR TO REPORTING.
The number is posted at the bottom of this notice.

The National Weather Service encourages everyone to report severe weather.

HOW TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER USING THIS SYSTEM

in order to use this system you must know your,

1: Latitude Longitude by Degrees and Minutes

2: Or Zip Code

If either of these two items are not available then you must leave a very
detailed voice message at the end as to your location

What State are you in,
What County are you in,
What City are you in or closest to,
What is the nearest cross street, highway or interstate,
What mile post,
What is a well known Landmark,
What direction is the storm or event from your location
Is it still occurring,
what direction is it moving I.E. North, South, East, or West.

Be as detailed, in your report and location as possible IDENTIFY YOUR SELF WITH
YOUR NAME PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS AND CoCoRaHS Station Number
When Prompted to leave a Voice Message.

When Prompted to leave a Voice Message, Remain Calm. Make sure you are in a safe
location. The NWS would much rather not
receive a report if it puts your safety in jeopardy.
YOUR SAFETY COMES FIRST!!!

Be as descriptive as possible, include thickness of tree limbs, rainfall
amounts and any damage or weather occurrence you feel is important to report.

SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING GUIDE LINES FOR WASHINGTON STATE

WESTERN WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debris being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

TORNADO, WATERSPOUT, FUNNEL CLOUD, WALL CLOUD -

Location, time, and direction of movement. Is it still visible? Watch for
rotation in the cloud(s). Any damage?

HAIL - Pea-sized or larger. Any damage?

LIGHTNING - Frequent (4 or more per minute) cloud-to-ground lightning inforested
areas.

DAMAGING WINDS - Trees/power lines knocked down, damage to homes, etc. If you
have an anemometer, report any sustained winds over 35 MPH or gusts over 50 mph.
You Can also use the Beaufort Scale for an estimate. Note: sustained winds are a
one
minute average.

HEAVY RAIN - One-half (0.50) inch in one hour. Two inches or more in 24 hours or
less. Has it ended?

FLOODING - OF ANY KIND! Are waters rising or falling? Any damage, mud or rock
slides, and/or roads blocked?

SNOW - One inch accumulation or more in three hours. 4 inches in 12 hours or
less.

FREEZING PRECIPITATION - Any accumulation of sleet or freezing rain / drizzle.

POOR VISIBILITY - Reduced visibility adversely impacting transportation. Less
than one-half miles for DENSE FOG and BLOWING SNOW.
BLOWING DUST and VOLCANIC ASH. Less than 300 feet

SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

Wind: 50 mph or stronger
Hail: 3/4 inch (penny or dime size) or larger in diameter
Flooding: Any significant amount of water in normally dry areas
River Flooding: Any river rising above their normal bank level
Heavy Rain: Rain rates of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Rain greater than 1 inch in 24 hours
Heavy Snow: Call while snowing at a rate of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Call with total snow fall if >= 1 inch when the snow ends
Low Visibilities: Visibility less than 1/2 mile due to fog, dust, rain, or snow
Freezing Rain: Any freezing rain

EASTERN WASHINGTON REGION

FUNNEL CLOUD OR TORNADO
1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

HAIL
Pea-sized or larger

STRONG WINDS
30 mph+ or winds that produce any damage. Estimate using Beaufort chart.

HEAVY RAINFALL
0.50 inch in one hour - showery
1 inch in 12 hrs or 1.5 inches in 24 hrs – steady rain

FLOODING
Of any kind...including possible dam or levee failure. Watch for changing water
levels.

SNOW
2 inches or more – valleys
6 inches or more - mountains

MIXED PRECIPITATION
Any freezing rain or sleet

POOR VISIBILITY
One half mile or less in blowing dust or snow etc.

TRAVEL PROBLEMS DUE TO WEATHER
Conditions where poor or hazardous travel conditions observed or reported

ANY DAMAGE, INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO WEATHER
Be sure to include location, time and specific cause

SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado
Location, time and direction of movement.

Hail: Pea size or larger.

Lightning: Continuous lightning (more than 6 flashes per minute).

Heavy Rain: Half an inch or more per hour. Report heavy rain even if you are
outside a flood prone area.

Heavy Snow: Accumulations of four inches in 12 hours or one inch per hour.

Flooding: Of ANY kind, including dam or levee failure. Are waters rising or
falling?

Damaging Wind: Trees or power lines knocked down, damage to buildings, etc.
Report any wind of at least 40 mph using the Beaufort Scale.

Fog, Blowing Dust, Blowing Snow: Report initial onslaught of event when poor
visibility impacts travel.

Freezing Rain: Report initial onslaught of event when it impacts travel.
Mudslides: Any event causing damage or road closure.

NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOT LINE 877-633-6772

The National Weather Service has opened up a TOLL FREE Hotline for reporting
Severe Weather. This Hotline is for the Public as well as Trained SKYWARN
Spotters.

YOU MUST READ THE ENTIRE POST PRIOR TO REPORTING.
The number is posted at the bottom of this notice.

The National Weather Service encourages everyone to report severe weather.

HOW TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER USING THIS SYSTEM

in order to use this system you must know your,

1: Latitude Longitude by Degrees and Minutes

2: Or Zip Code

If either of these two items are not available then you must leave a very
detailed voice message at the end as to your location

What State are you in,
What County are you in,
What City are you in or closest to,
What is the nearest cross street, highway or interstate,
What mile post,
What is a well known Landmark,
What direction is the storm or event from your location
Is it still occurring,
what direction is it moving I.E. North, South, East, or West.

Be as detailed, in your report and location as possible IDENTIFY YOUR SELF WITH
YOUR NAME PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS AND CoCoRaHS Station Number
When Prompted to leave a Voice Message.

When Prompted to leave a Voice Message, Remain Calm. Make sure you are in a safe
location. The NWS would much rather not
receive a report if it puts your safety in jeopardy.
YOUR SAFETY COMES FIRST!!!

Be as descriptive as possible, include thickness of tree limbs, rainfall
amounts and any damage or weather occurrence you feel is important to report.

SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING GUIDE LINES FOR WASHINGTON STATE

WESTERN WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debris being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

TORNADO, WATERSPOUT, FUNNEL CLOUD, WALL CLOUD -

Location, time, and direction of movement. Is it still visible? Watch for
rotation in the cloud(s). Any damage?

HAIL - Pea-sized or larger. Any damage?

LIGHTNING - Frequent (4 or more per minute) cloud-to-ground lightning inforested
areas.

DAMAGING WINDS - Trees/power lines knocked down, damage to homes, etc. If you
have an anemometer, report any sustained winds over 35 MPH or gusts over 50 mph.
You Can also use the Beaufort Scale for an estimate. Note: sustained winds are a
one
minute average.

HEAVY RAIN - One-half (0.50) inch in one hour. Two inches or more in 24 hours or
less. Has it ended?

FLOODING - OF ANY KIND! Are waters rising or falling? Any damage, mud or rock
slides, and/or roads blocked?

SNOW - One inch accumulation or more in three hours. 4 inches in 12 hours or
less.

FREEZING PRECIPITATION - Any accumulation of sleet or freezing rain / drizzle.

POOR VISIBILITY - Reduced visibility adversely impacting transportation. Less
than one-half miles for DENSE FOG and BLOWING SNOW.
BLOWING DUST and VOLCANIC ASH. Less than 300 feet

SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

Wind: 50 mph or stronger
Hail: 3/4 inch (penny or dime size) or larger in diameter
Flooding: Any significant amount of water in normally dry areas
River Flooding: Any river rising above their normal bank level
Heavy Rain: Rain rates of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Rain greater than 1 inch in 24 hours
Heavy Snow: Call while snowing at a rate of 1 inch per hour or greater
And - Call with total snow fall if >= 1 inch when the snow ends
Low Visibilities: Visibility less than 1/2 mile due to fog, dust, rain, or snow
Freezing Rain: Any freezing rain

EASTERN WASHINGTON REGION

FUNNEL CLOUD OR TORNADO
1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado

HAIL
Pea-sized or larger

STRONG WINDS
30 mph+ or winds that produce any damage. Estimate using Beaufort chart.

HEAVY RAINFALL
0.50 inch in one hour - showery
1 inch in 12 hrs or 1.5 inches in 24 hrs – steady rain

FLOODING
Of any kind...including possible dam or levee failure. Watch for changing water
levels.

SNOW
2 inches or more – valleys
6 inches or more - mountains

MIXED PRECIPITATION
Any freezing rain or sleet

POOR VISIBILITY
One half mile or less in blowing dust or snow etc.

TRAVEL PROBLEMS DUE TO WEATHER
Conditions where poor or hazardous travel conditions observed or reported

ANY DAMAGE, INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO WEATHER
Be sure to include location, time and specific cause

SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION

1: TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air IN CONTACT with the ground and
extending from the base of a thunderstorm.
Visual Key: is there dust & debries being picked up below the funnel

2: FUNNEL CLOUD: Violently rotating column of air that is not in contact with
the ground.
Visual Key: Look below the Funnel for Dust and debris being picked up if there
is then it is a Tornado
Location, time and direction of movement.

Hail: Pea size or larger.

Lightning: Continuous lightning (more than 6 flashes per minute).

Heavy Rain: Half an inch or more per hour. Report heavy rain even if you are
outside a flood prone area.

Heavy Snow: Accumulations of four inches in 12 hours or one inch per hour.

Flooding: Of ANY kind, including dam or levee failure. Are waters rising or
falling?

Damaging Wind: Trees or power lines knocked down, damage to buildings, etc.
Report any wind of at least 40 mph using the Beaufort Scale.

Fog, Blowing Dust, Blowing Snow: Report initial onslaught of event when poor
visibility impacts travel.

Freezing Rain: Report initial onslaught of event when it impacts travel.
Mudslides: Any event causing damage or road closure.

NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOT LINE 877-633-6772

 

----- Original Message -----

From: <cocorahs_wa@yahoogroups.com>

To: <cocorahs_wa@yahoogroups.com>

Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2011 6:10 AM

Subject: [cocorahs_wa] File - NWS NATIONAL SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING HOTLINE

Why do you continue to send this every three months???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Dear CoCoRaHS participants, friends and family members.

Sorry it's been so long since I've written.

Memorial Day

I can tell by some of our conversations and some of your e-mail
addresses that we have many veterans on the CoCoRaHS team.  We even have
a few on active and reserve duty who are finding time for reporting
precipitation.  Thank you all very much for your service to our nation.
   Some of you got your very first taste of weather observing while
serving in the military.

We've lost a few of our WW2 veterans this past year but we still have
some left.  If you served in World War II and are still taking CoCoRaHS
rainfall measurements, please send me an e-mail so we can give you some
extra pats on the back.


New Recruits

A few hundred new CoCoRaHS recruits have signed up since the last time I
had a chance to write.  Welcome!  Each and every additional rain gauge
volunteer makes a difference since rainfall in our country is so
incredibly variable and since rainfall affects so many things --
agriculture, water supplies, transportation, business, recreation,
natural resources and so much more.

Your data reports will be appreciated.  If you haven't had the
opportunity yet to get your rain gauge installed, this would be a good
time.  If you need any help getting started, please let us know.


Floods and Drought are still about.

Some of you are wishing the rain would stop and others would do anything
just for a few rain clouds.  Nearly half of our Montana volunteers have
reported 6" or more of rain so far in May with a few reports over 10" (a
lot for eastern Montana).  Northern Wyoming has also been soaked.  And
guess what the forecast is for the rest of the weekend?   No wonder so
much of Montana is experiencing flood warnings and flood watches.  The
Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers and their tributaries will be huge for
weeks to come.

As of a few days ago we still had some CoCoRaHS volunteers with snow
left on the ground.  Two of our stations in CA, where snowfall had been
so great that it buried residential power lines, still had over 100" of
snow remaining on the ground earlier this week.  Here in Colorado we're
waiting for the warm weather to finally arrive and when it does later
this week -- look out.  We have huge amounts of snow left in our
mountains -- from 25 to as much as 90 inches of snow water equivalent
(SWE) still up on the slopes in the northern portion of our state --
much, much more than usual.  With the sun nearly overhead and the summer
solstice right around the corner, the snow will be melting fast (1-2" of
SWE per day when it gets warm) and the rivers surging.

Meanwhile just to our south the word of the day is still "drought" for
southern Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Louisiana and parts of
other southern states.  I got an e-mail Friday from a faithful volunteer
near Deming, New Mexico.  Most places there have received less than
0.25" in the past 8 months.  If you've checked the CoCoRaHS "Drought
Impact Reports" there are some miserably dry conditions across these
regions.
http://www.cocorahs.org/ViewData/ListDroughtImpactReports.aspx


Your data are used every day, and I mean it.

No matter how many times I repeat this, I continuously get questions
about "who cares about and who uses the data from CoCoRaHS volunteers."
   It must be hard to fathom for some of you that backyard rain gauges
have a place of importance in national climate monitoring in the 21st
Century -- but it does.  Let me say it one more time.  Your rainfall
reports -- including your reports of zero precipitation -- are being
used EVERY DAY. Every morning many organizations ping our database at
least every hour to get all the latest reports as they come in.  When
you see forecasts of river stages and flood levels on the Missouri, the
Mississippi, the Ohio, the Colorado River or most anywhere else in the
country -- guess what data are helping the forecasters make these
forecasts?  Yes, timely CoCoRaHS data!  Your reports of hail or heavy
rain may trigger the NWS to issue severe thunderstorm or flash flood
warnings.  Your local water utility may be using CoCoRaHS data to assess
local water supplies and future water demand.  The US Department of
Agriculture is using CoCoRaHS reports to assess drought conditions
across the country.  We just learned this week that FEMA (Federal
Emergency Management Administration) has started including CoCoRaHS
winter snow reports in their determinations of snow-related disaster
declarations.

These are just a few of the uses.  Research, business, recreation -- you
name it.  Your CoCoRaHS precipitation measurements help tell an
important story.  We are not an "Official Federal observing network" but
our data are used because precipitation is important, it varies greatly
from place to place and we have a track record of proven accuracy.


Time for 10,000

We came close a year ago to having 10,000 rainfall reports (including
zeros) in one day.  This year I think we can do it.  We're currently
averaging more than 8500 reports per day and we're occasionally spiking
above 9000.

Let's shoot for 10,000 next week.   June 6-9 will be our "CoCoRaHS hits
10,000" challenge week.  This will mean that some of us who forget or
don't always get around to sending in our reports will need to step up
to the plate to help reach the goal.  Likewise, volunteers from AZ, TX,
CA and other areas where the rains may have quit for now will also have
to join in and report your zeros.  Together we can do it.  I'll send out
another reminder next week.


A few other reminders.

1)   Comments -- Whether it's just a clear day or if you've had some
wild weather, a few words in the "Comments" box really help.  For
example, if you've had heavy rain in the past day. let us know roughly
when it occurred and if it caused any trouble.  Your comments become a
part of an archive we can all use to keep track of weather history in
our different areas of the country  If you're not sure what to say, just
read a few comments that come each day.  With a few descriptive words,
we get a much clearer picture of what you are experiencing than we can
infer solely from the rainfall amount.

Here's an example from this morning from a volunteer in eastern Colorado.
"Lots of thunder and sharp lightning produced little moisture. Thunder
dog was trying out different hiding places but none worked- He could
still see the flashes and hear the noise.'

Here's an example from Montana earlier this past week.
"Creek was still over the banks. One of these days it will go down
enough to repair the road. Getting tired of walking 1/4 mile to get to
the Jeep"

2)  Your daily precipitation reports are the core mission of CoCoRaHS
but please remember to use the several other situational report options
that we offer.

"Significant Weather Reports"  You can send these at any time of day to
report heavy rain, heavy snow or other significant weather events or
rapid changes.

"Hail Reports"  CoCoRaHS is the only comprehensive hail data collection
system in the country.  Become familiar with the hail reporting form and
use it every time you have hail.  Check out the national hail maps from
this past week (May 20-26th are particularly interesting) and you'll see
how hail reports get used.

http://www.cocorahs.org/Maps/ViewMap.aspx?type=hail

And if it didn't rain . . . ??   We really appreciate it when you report
your 0.00" on days when it doesn't rain,  Local, state and national
rainfall mapping efforts all do better if our zero reports come
streaming in.  If you get behind sending in your zero's remember that
the "Monthly Zeros" entry form makes that easy -- just by clicking a
calendar.


Farm Report

We sure have appreciated the rain -- more than 4" this month.  After a
slow start, the pasture is looking good now.  Too busy to do much early
gardening this year, but we'll get going soon.  As for the animals,
things had settled down well for a few months.  A fox stares through our
fence to watch the chickens almost every day == hoping one will get
adventurous and try to fly out of the yard.  All the flying chickens are
already gone, so the fox is a little thin this year.  We had an
unfortunate goose mishap this week.  It is hard to fence irrigation
ditches and when the irrigation canal slowed down this week our
neighbor's long-legged dog could wade over to try to meet and play with
Lily (Our Australian shepherd).  While Lily couldn't get out of our
fence but she still managed to cheer Nala on to chase geese.  One
eventually succumbed to exhaustion after being playfully chased.  I'll
be doing more fence building to make sure that can't happen again.
There's always something.

Our lilac hedge is still in full bloom -- very late this year -- but
fragrant and lovely.  By the way, if you enjoy observing vegetation and
when things bud and bloom, I encourage you to visit the National
Phenology Network website.  http://www.usanpn.org/  They would
appreciate more volunteers to help in their mission.


Enjoy the Memorial Day weekend.  Our fog and drizzle has ended so time
to get outdoors.

Best wishes,

Nolan Doesken
Colorado State University

CoCoRaHS June greetings.

Summer weather has arrived or will arrive soon across the country. This
is the time to shoot for the goal of 10,000 CoCoRaHS daily precipitation
reports.  We typically get over 8000 reports each day.  Occasionally we
surpass 9,000, but we've never made it to 10,000.  It's about time!

If all of us who regularly check our rain gauges and report our data are
joined by a few who are just getting started or who haven't reported for
awhile, we should be able to reach 10,000 reports for the first time in
the history of the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow network.

It looks like precipitation patterns across the country this week will
be spotty.  That may make it harder to get motivated.  But please don't
let that stop you.  Check your rain gauge each morning this week -- rain
or shine -- and then please send in your report via www.cocorahs.org
If there was no precipitation, please submit your report of 0.00".  I'm
guessing we may need as many as 7500 zero reports each day to make it --
but that's feasible.

If you have lost or forgotten your login information, you can look it up
yourself simply by clicking on Login at the top of the page. Then click
on "Find my login information" down below the username and password
boxes.  Our computer will promptly e-mail you your usernmane and
password.  If that doesn't work, then please contact me and we'll help.


Memorial Day thrill

We heard back from many Veterans after our Memorial Day message.  20
WWII vets replied to let me know that they are still active CoCoRaHS
volunteers.  Most who replied were in their mid or upper 80s, but we
have a handful in their 90s still taking rainfall measurements. Most
have chosen warm southern climes, but there were a couple who still live
in snowy places and still get out and measure snow. I am indeed humbled.
   A few years back we had a handful of CoCoRaHS volunteers who gained
their love of snow while training and serving in the 10th Mountain
Division.  But I didn't hear back from any of you this time around.

I also received a touching message from a CoCoRaHS volunteer who
happened to be a young German teenager in Berlin who experienced the
bombings from a different perspective and was there when WWII ended.
Thanks so much for writing and sharing your story and the journeys that
brought you here.

Veterans -- thanks again for your service and for choosing to volunteer
some of your time for CoCoRaHS at this stage of your long and
illustrious lives.


Apologies to the Northeast

Last week when I described the importance of CoCoRaHS rainfall reports
and how they are used for river forecasts and flood warnings, I failed
to mention another part of the country dealing with high water.  Not
only has there been major flooding this year on the Red River (of the
north) the Missouri, the Ohio and the Mississippi, and now many streams
that flow out of the Central and Northern Rocky Mountains, Cascades and
Sierra.  There has also been excessive snow melt, heavy spring
precipitation and high water in parts of the Northeast.  Lake Champlain
has experienced record shattering flooding.  Close to half of our
CoCoRaHS volunteers in Vermont received over 15" of precipitation for
April and May combined -- nearly 3 times the average.

So thanks for pointing out an important part of the country that I
forgot to mention.  Between the National Weather Service and the U.S.
Geological Survey, there are some fantastic websites available for
tracking stream flow and water levels across the country right up to the
minute.  Here's a website that I've been visiting to track both flooding
and drought across the country.

http://water.weather.gov/ahps/


Smokey haze.

I grew up in the Midwest (east central Illinois) where summer haze was
normal and the sun sometimes disappeared into the gray-orange humid haze
on hour or more before actual sunset.  Today our Colorado skies --
usually known for their clarity and deep blue color -- are hazy like
what I grew up with -- but for a much different reason. Smoke from the
huge wildfires in Arizona has clogged the sky all the way here in
northern Colorado and likely in many other areas as well.  Fortunately,
a few showers and thunderstorms have brought some temporary and local
relief from persistent heat and drought over small areas of New Mexico,
Arizona, W. Texas and SE Colorado, but we have a long way to go to put
this southern drought to an end.


One less

We are back down to two dogs.  Our old Great Pyrenees -- Argy -- just
couldn't make it any more.  He was nearing 12 years of age, and had been
a part of our lives for over 9 years.   He gave us one more winter than
we expected and appreciated the fact we had less than half our normal
snowfall.  But the sudden onset of summer heat this past week was too
much for him.  We'll miss his calm, steady presence.  He asked for very
little.  Now Lily and Angel will have to work out a new order.


Good week.

Thanks one more time for being a part of CoCoRaHS.  Hopefully a few days
from now we can celebrate reaching 10,000 daily reports.  Have a great
week and enjoy the weather -- whatever it may be in your part of the
country.

Sincerely,

Nolan Doesken
Colorado State University

Rain gauge team

Just a quick update.  As of 8:24 AM MDT today, we hit the 5000
precipitation reports for today -- the halfway point towards the goal of
10,000.  We have a chance but it will take a lot more reports from all
areas of the country.

Nationally it's a fairly dry day -- 1100 reports of measurable
precipitation so far, 250 traces  and not a single report of snow.  The
heaviest rainfall for the past 24 hours was 2.77" in Lincoln County, NC.
   That's actually a low number for national daily maximum at this time
of year.  Reno, NV -- with more than an inch of rain (unusual any time
of year there) scored in the top 20 heaviest rainfall reports for today.
   It's good to see some modest rainfall amounts from southern New Mexico
where it's been over 8 months since the last significant precipitation
event.

So keep those reports rolling in. (another 250 have arrived as I wrote
this message -- now up to 5259)  We can make it to 10,000 today and the
rest of this week.

Thanks for your help.  Let us know if you need any assistance to get
logged in.

Nolan Doesken
Colorado State University