Torrential rainfall of as much as 8 inches hit portions of northern Illinois Friday night/early Saturday morning. Many thanks to all for your reports!  We received a number of significant weather reports during the event as well.

Here's a list of the 6+ inch reports. We had a total of 473 observations reported Saturday.

Join us for a CoCoRaHS training session.

When: Thursday September 9, 2010. 6:30 PM.
Where: University of Illinois Extension - Livingston County Unit. 1412 S Locust Street. Pontiac, IL 61764. Get directions.

There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. To register for this session, contact the Livingston County Extension office at 815-842-1776. Training is required for all observers. If your not sure if CoCoRaHS is for you, come out and learn more about the program.

For those on Facebook, there is a new group for IL CoCoRaHS observers or those interested in CoCoRaHS in Illinois. In Facebook, do a search for CoCoRaHS and feel free to join up. Thanks to Krystel IL-CK-10 for setting this up.

Thanks Steve. Was wondering if anyone else is reading this forum other than myself.

Wasn't sure if I was going to keep it going but as long as folks find it a valuable resource I will definitely continue.

     I just finished reading the Summer edition and just like the Spring edition it was fantastic.  Illinois observers are fortunate to have both the Newsletter and the Forum.  Two great information sharing resources.

With the recent active weather lately, many CoCoRaHS observers have made the extra effort to submit significant weather and hail reports. These reports provide valuable information and are a vital part of the National Weather Service severe weather and flood warning program. Many thanks to everyone for these reports!  

Please do not to take any unnecessary risks in order to send these reports. Wait until it is safe to read the rain gauge before venturing out. Remember that lightning can travel many miles from the parent thunderstorm. A few notes from the NOAA/NWS Lightning Safety brochure:

• All thunderstorms produce lightning and are
  dangerous.
  
• In the United States, in an average year,
  lightning kills about the same number of people as
  tornadoes and more people than hurricanes.
• Lightning often strikes outside the area of heavy rain
  and may strike as far as 10 miles from any rainfall.
• Many lightning deaths occur ahead of storms or after
  storms have seemingly passed.
• If you can hear thunder, you are in danger. Don’t
  be fooled by blue skies. If you hear thunder, lightning is
  close enough to pose an immediate threat.

Learn more about lightning safety.

Today we recorded over 400 observations statewide for the first time!! 

Many thanks to all our dedicated observers. Now to shoot for 500!

If I use the significant weather form to send in a supplemental report, what amount would I send the following morning?

ANSWER:  Remember that your morning report is a 24 hour value. Your report the next morning would include that supplemental value plus any additional precipitation that occurred since that Significant Weather Report.

82°F here in Champaign-Urbana, a degree shy of the record set in 1946. If it weren't for those high clouds this afternoon....

We had a high of 82 today. Warmest day since September 15, 2009.

Welcome to all the new CoCoRaHS observers that signed up in March! Thanks for joining the Illinois Team.