Contact: Robbie Ward
STARKVILLE, Miss.--A Mississippi State-led effort is seeking to recruit additional observers of rainfall amounts throughout the state.
The Mississippi Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network is part of a national recruiting effort called "March Madness" that seeks to sign up as many new weather observers as possible during the month.
Mississippi CoCoRaHS is a joint effort of the National Weather Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the university's geosciences department. Collected information will be used by weather forecasters and researchers studying precipitation patterns.
Every state now is competing to add the most new volunteers. Mississippi, which joined the non-profit program in 2008, currently has about 160 observers of all ages and backgrounds.
Kathy Sherman-Morris, state coordinator of the program, said more participants are needed from Corinth to Woodville, Hernando to Escatawpa and points between.
"We can use more observers everywhere in the state, but our biggest gaps are in North Mississippi, the Delta and a line of counties from Laurel to Natchez," the assistant geosciences professor added.
Volunteers may sign up at the Web site www.cocorahs.org, which also provides a map of the rainfall reports. Participants must agree to purchase an official-type rain gauge and report their readings online, preferably at the same time each day.
State climatologist Charlie Wax said significant March rainfall variation over the years makes the need for more Mississippi volunteers essential in order to gather accurate data. A professor and Sherman-Morris' departmental colleague, he serves as co-coordinator of the state program.
Wax said March is typically among the wettest months in Mississippi. Even so, while more than 14 inches of rainfall was reported in March 1980, less than an inch was registered in 2007, he observed.
"Getting good measurements from all over the state during times of such excessive and variable rain events is another good reason to join our team," Wax said.
For more information, contact Sherman-Morris at 662-325-4243 or kms5@geosci.msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.