First Rain

The first storm of the season has come through today, producing some sprinkles this afternoon and evening, with more rain expected tomorrow. Sunday it should be clear, which is good because we are scheduled to help out with radio support for a bicycle event along the American River Parkway in Sacramento that day.

Looking at the local National Weather Service web page, they are highlighting the CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network) program, which is a citizen science effort to collect precipitation data all across the United States. California has just entered this program this month, which first got started with a pilot effort in Colorado in 1998 and is now taking place in 36 states. All one needs to participate is a standardized low-cost rain gauge and the commitment to measure it every morning.