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 WCC 1012 Annual Meetings
The purpose of this annual conference is to discuss and strategize how to manage, educate, maintain, and improve volunteer weather observer networks used to collect valuable precipitation data in the U.S., Canada and other nations. This includes the National Weather Service Cooperative Observer Network, the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, as well as other existing local, regional and state volunteer networks. In 2025 the name was changed from WERA 1012 to WCC 1012.
In 2008 an initial team with shared interests in improved precipitation monitoring and citizen participation proposed a new coordinating committee within the Western Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors. The project was approved for a five-year period (which has been renewed). We have held the conference each year in May at the YMCA of the Rockies Conference Center in Estes Park, Colorado. Beginning in 2024 the Conference was relocated to the Atmospheric Science Department at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. At our conferences, we continue to expound upon goals for improved precipitation monitoring and analysis.
Our Upcoming 2026 Meeting: May 19-21, 2026 in person at the Colorado State University ATMOS Campus, Fort Collins, Colorado plus a virtual option. For more info visit our General Information Webpage.
PAST MEETINGS
2025 2024 2023
2022 2021 2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008
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SUGGESTED WERA 1012 COMMITTEES (on hold for now)
CoCoRaHS Collaborations
Coordinator Support
Innovation and Development (Creation of added-value products)
Precipitation Protocols
Quality Assurance/Quality Control
Recruitment/Retention
Sustainability/Funding
Training/Education
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ANNUAL REPORTS
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MEETING NOTES
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PAST CHAIRPERSONS / INCOMING CHAIRPERSONS
What does WERA stand for?
III. WESTERN MULTISTATE PROJECTS
A. Research Projects (W)
Multistate Research Projects involve cooperative, jointly planned research employing multidisciplinary approaches in which SAESs, working with the ARS, or other college or university, cooperate to solve problems that concern more than one state and, usually, more than one region. Cooperative Extension and academic faculty are encouraged to participate if and where appropriate to meeting joint objectives.
B. Coordinating Committees (WCC)
Coordinating Committees provide a mechanism a for addressing critical regional issues where multistate coordination or information exchange is appropriate within a function (i.e. research, education or extension); have expected outcomes; convey knowledge; and are peer reviewed. The work of Western Coordinating Committees can be classified into the following categories:
• Multistate research, education or extension programs with clearly established, outcome oriented, goals where research results are already available. Knowledge is conveyed utilizing methodology which results in increased understanding and effective resolution of identified needs.
• Multistate research, education or extension coordination resulting in increased communication between faculty, avoidance of unnecessary duplication and gained efficiencies in the use of resources and shared ideas.
C. Education/Extension and Research Activity (WERA)
These activities serve to integrate two or more functions (i.e., education, extension and research) on a particular topic where multistate coordination or information exchange is appropriate; have expected outcomes; convey knowledge; and are peer reviewed. The work of Western Education/Extension and Research Activity Committees can be described as follows:
• Fully integrated research, education and extension program coordination with clearly defined, impact-oriented objectives, where results are effectively embodied in educational efforts to assist those in need.
A History of WERA 1012 – Managing and Utilizing Observations from Volunteer Precipitation Networks
The formation of a National Coordinating Committee focused on precipitation measurements was initially suggested by Ted Sammis in about 2006. Ted was then the State Climatologist at New Mexico State University and was keenly interested in improving climate monitoring. The Coordinating Committee organizational structure provides a means to bring CoCoRaHS, NWS, and others interested in precipitation measurements together to discuss and plan ways to improve precipitation measurements and data quality, to enhance precipitation information resources, to integrate data sources, to improve support for observational networks and to make data more usable for research and service applications. The first planning meeting was held at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO in early May 2008. The planning committee developed a proposal and it was submitted to the Western Association of Agricultural Experiment State Directors during the summer of 2008. That fall the WERA 1012 committee was authorized. The project was approved for a five-year period. Planning began for the first technical committee meeting to be held in May of 2009.
The goal of the May 2009 meeting was to discuss and strategize how to manage, maintain, and improve volunteer weather observer networks used to collect valuable precipitation data here in the U.S. This includes the National Weather Service Cooperative Observer Network, the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow network, as well as other existing local, regional and state volunteer networks. We met for the first time May 19-22 at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, CO. Twenty-six people representing 11 universities, NOAA/NWS, state climate offices, UCAR, the Bureau of Land Management, and CoCoRaHS staff participated. The foundation for the committee was established at this meeting. Topics discussed included the History of Rain Gauge Networks, Rain Gauge Accuracy and Performance, Volunteer Recruiting/Retention, Metadata for 'Unofficial' Networks, Volunteer Education, Training Volunteers, Volunteer Support, Network Funding, and Data Quality Control. Based on discussion following these presentations, five working groups were established:
1. CoCoRaHS/COOP Collaboration
2. Sustainability/Funding
3. Training and Education
4. Data Quality Assurance and Control
5. Precipitation Measurement References
WERA 1012 was off and running! We left the meeting with a plan of action and a list of priorities.
An annual meeting of the committee has been held every year since then in Estes Park. After the first two meetings at the YMCA participants elected to hold the meeting each year at that location. Starting in 2024 the meeting will be held at the CSU campus in Fort Collins.
In 2011, a Snow Workshop sponsored by NCDC (now NCEI Climate) and FEMA was held immediately after to the WERA 1012 meeting in Estes Park. The purpose of this meeting was to facilitate collaboration among federal and non-federal partners to improve the quality, quantity, and accessibility of historical and current snowfall observations and derivable products from NOAA and non-NOAA networks in support of FEMA and the wider user community. An outcome of this meeting was that FEMA can now utilize measurements from non-NOAA networks, such as CoCoRaHS, provided that the observations are verified. A smaller working group from this meeting, including CoCoRaHS representatives, worked on updating the NWS Snow Measurement Guidelines the following year.
The composition of attendees at the annual meeting changes each year. State and regional coordinators are encouraged to attend and participate. The meeting provides a great opportunity to exchange ideas with other CoCoRaHS coordinators, NWS and NCEI staff, U.S. and international partners, CoCoRaHS staff, and data users on a variety of topics. Examples of some special topics from past meetings include:
- CoCoRaHS “State of the Network”
- NWS Cooperative Network “Annual status, update and new priorities”
- Communicating with Millennials: Social Media and Other Tactics
- Engaging Local Media about CoCoRaHS
- An Automated CoCoRaHS Rain Gauge Prototype
- Investigation of Rain Gauge Tampering in Southeastern Colorado
- Condition Monitoring: Lessons Learned to Support a National Network of Citizen Science Observers, Drought Monitoring, and Decision Making
- 125th Anniversary of National Weather Service Cooperative Observer Program
- Mentoring Coordinators and Subsidizing Gauges
- Engaging Tribes
There is also regular discussion of recruiting and retention of observers, data quality assurance and quality control, participation trends and statistics, IT issues and updates, and a CoCoRaHS Headquarters update. Many ideas and suggestions that have come out of these meetings have been incorporated into CoCoRaHS operations and plans.
The committee was authorized for another five years in 2024, and has been reauthorized until 2029.
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