July is typically one of the driest months on average across California with a majority of the precipitation the result of monsoonal flow across the Desert Southwest advecting moisture over the state. This July, according to the National Climatic Data Center, California ranked 26th driest of the 116 year period of record.

Looking at the entire United States, a persistent fetch of moisture moving across the central portion of the country brought above normal precipitation to this area with several states reaching close to their wettest July on record. In fact, the state of Wisconsin recorded their 2nd wettest July while the state of Iowa saw their 5th wettest July over the 116 year period.

As the summer days continue across California, please continue entering your precipitation data into the CoCoRaHS interface. Even if you experience a prolonged period of dry conditions, the "0.00" you enter into the CoCoRaHS database is a valuable piece in mapping precipitation across the entire country. We thank you for the effort.

Also, as the winter precipitation season fast approaches, we continue to seek new volunteers to "fill in the gaps" that exist in California.If you know someone that would be interested in the CoCoRaHS program, refer them to this website.

Look for frequent updates as the winter season gets closer. Also, if you have a Facebook account, remember to join the "California CoCoRaHS" page. Just do a search for us, and join! Its that easy.

Keep enjoying the summer months, and remember to enter your data.

Thanks...

Dan Kozlowski
Co California State Coordinator

WHAT DO I NEED

The only requirements for participation are an enthusiasm for watching and reporting weather conditions and a desire to learn more about how the weather can affect and impact our lives.You must also use the standard 4-inch rain gauge to measure your precipitation. Even if you already have some other type of rain gauge such as a digital or automatic gauge often included with home weather stations, you will need to use the standard rain gauge. For an explanation on why CoCoRaHS uses the 4 inch gauge, please go here.

HOW DO I JOIN

It's easy to sign-up to become an observer - click on "Join CoCoRaHS" and complete the on-line application form. Once you sign up, you will receive a login and password. After you have a rain gauge and begin making observations, you can log in and report them. Your precipitation observations will start showing up daily on our county maps.

HOW DO I OBTAIN A RAIN GAUGE

If you do not currently have a 4-inch rain gauge, you can order your CoCoRaHS rain gauge from weatheryourway.com for only $25! This is a special price for CoCoRaHS observers.

TRAINING

Training is required! These training sessions are great opportunities to learn from the experts. You may take the online training available on the CoCoRaHS web site.

Please check this web page often for updates!