NeRAIN, or the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network, is a cool initiative that gets everyday folks involved in weather watching. It’s all about volunteers who track daily precipitation and weather events, creating accurate data on things like rainfall and snowfall. 

The website, nerain.nebraska.gov, is hosted by the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment; and the endeavor is a cooperative effort with the Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) and Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS). Funding was made available from the NRDs and the Nebraska Environmental Trust. 

Regional coordinators at the NRDs and DWEE provide training and support. Regardless of age or experience, anyone can become a citizen reporter. What’s important is that you’re keen on reporting what’s going on with the weather. 

Here’s how it works: Volunteers check their rain gauges every day, preferably around 7 AM, but anytime between 5 and 9 AM is fine. They input the information about rainfall, snow depth, and any storm activity to the website. Even if there’s no rain, reporting zero precipitation is just as crucial. 

As the data is collected, it is uploaded to the website and made accessible to everyone through an interactive map and reports. This data helps support agriculture, industry, and weather services. If you’d like to participate, learn more at https://nednr.nebraska.gov/NeRain/Account/Involved.