Precipitation Spotters

Local weather observers are an essential part of the National Weather Service forecast and warning program.

The National Weather Service in Binghamton relies on weather reports from local weather observers across numerous communities in central New York and northeast Pennsylvania. Our observers help us gauge how severe a storm is, how much snow or rain has fallen, or how quickly our streams and creeks are rising. In addition, the National Weather Service relies on volunteer weather observers, who on a daily basis, take temperature and precipitation measurements to monitor our climate.

There are three types of volunteer weather observing networks that we use in our region:

SKYWARN Storm Spotter
CoCoRaHS Precipitation Observer
National Weather Service Cooperative Observer Program.

The SKYWARN spotter and Precipitation observer networks are open to all residents of central New York and northeast Pennsylvania who are interested. These observer programs are voluntary and the level of participation is up to you.

For rain and snow observers, please consider joining the "Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow" (CoCoRaHS) national network to collect, display and archive the data provided. For more information, or to sign up as a volunteer, please visit either the

New York CoCoRaHS
Pennsylvania CoCoRaH

If you still have questions you can contact the webmaster at bgm.webmaster@noaa.gov

The Cooperative Observer program is the main function of the official climate record keeping of the United States of America, and it is only open in certain areas where we need official observers to supplement gaps in the climate network. The Cooperative Observer Program is a little more involved than the basic volunteer programs, and requires a higher level of training commitment, and dedication.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to all of our current spotters. Your work has helped us to fulfill our mission which is to provide forecasts and warnings to protect the citizens of central New York and northeast Pennsylvania.

Useful Links for Snow and Rain Measurements

Data Links