SALT LAKE CITY — If you've ever wanted to be a meteorologist for a day, here's your opportunity.
A federal community research precipitation project aims to help improve forecasting accuracy when it comes to precipitation types right here in Utah. Forecasting accurate precipitation types can be difficult at times, especially on a hyperlocal scale, in areas with steep elevation changes and that is especially true in arid climates.
That's why, at times, you see snow when it's 40-degrees outside or why it's snowing in your backyard when rain was in the forecast.
The current technologies used to predict whether precipitation would fall as rain or snow for locations at the freezing point—32 degrees--often make assumptions. The assumptions are that it'll rain at 33 and snow at 32 but that's not always the case. This makes computer model forecasting difficult and can lead to inaccurate forecasts that you see on television or on your smart device application.
While this is a current limitation, scientists are working tirelessly to mitigate those limitations, and in return, improve precipitation-type forecasting.
And you can help with just a few clicks of the phone and a few seconds. All you have to do is submit precipitation reports of what's falling in your backyard during the spring, fall and winter months. It's quite simple, you step outside, you see rain, submit it's raining--if it's snowing or if it's mixed precipitation, such as a rain/snow mix, you do the same easy steps.
These quick reports—only taking about 30 seconds out of your day—will help improve the weather forecast here in Utah.
If this sounds like it's up your alley, or a fun project to do with the kids, you can scan the QR Code below or send the keyword "Wasatch" to 855-909-0798 and follow the simple prompts.
This project will accept reports through the end of May and then beginning again this fall and winter, continuing each spring, fall and winter indefinitely. The project has been ongoing for 5 years across parts of the West with over 60,000 reports submitted, but as of this year, the project expanded into Utah with a particular interest along the Wasatch Range and Wasatch Front Communities.
