Five years ago, colleagues looked at me like I might have had a few screws loose when I told them I wanted to pilot a project known as CoCoRaHS in Florida. It had been such a huge hit out west, I figured that there had to be people in the state that were as enthusiastic as myself about weather and would be interested in helping measure rain. And I was right: I wasn't the only one! Some observers have come and gone, lasting a few years or less, and each report they have left is still valuable. I pulled up the observer report this morning, figuring that I would highlight those who have stayed with CoCoRaHS for the last five years and send them a certificate of appreciation for their dedication.  

When it was all said and done, I realized that I couldn't call out every one who is still here... all 224 of you! I was blown away that nearly half of our current and active observers have been with us since the start in 2007. Wow! With that being said, it may take me a few weeks to get out all of the certificates... be patient with me. :-) 

October 1st also marks the beginning of a new water year. The water year is an approximation for the best 12-month period that spans the cycle of water storage and water usage. This cycle is particularly well known in the western United States, where snow begins to accumulate at high elevations in October and melts during the following spring. This annual cycle, when areas receive more precipitation than is evaporated from October through March, takes on different forms across the entire country. Here in the southeast U.S., the winter rains help recharge our aquifers, wells, ponds and lakes. If you are interested in looking at the data for your station over the 2012 Water Year, there is an option available to review your summary and make any corrections that may be necessary before they are regenerated at the end of October.  

If you have any questions about End of Water Year Reporting, please feel free to send me an email.

If you have some free time, I suggest attending some of the 'WxTalk Webinars' hosted by CoCoRaHS. This month, they are highlighting the Aurora Borealis in a talk given by Jan Curtis from USDA/NRCS. The talk will be given Thursday, October 18, at 1:00 PM EDT. You can register for the talk here:

https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/502665910   

If you unable to sign up to attend the webinar, you can always go to the CoCoRaHS website to view the talk a few days after the scheduled date:  

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

In the past few months, they have covered topics like: extreme rainfall, jobs in meteorology, wildfires and hurricane analysis/prediction.  

Most 'WxTalk Webinar's last about an hour and a half and allow for participants to ask the guest speaker questions.