Winter Weather Spotters: 

Keep your eyes on the sky with Mountain Rain or Snow

By Meghan Collins

Mountain Rain or Snow is welcoming new winter weather spotters across Elko County to track snowstorms at temperatures around freezing. When it is snowing or raining, you can put our region on the map by tracking winter weather. This project is part of the Desert Research Institute, which is a non-profit organization in the Nevada System of Higher Education. 

Send reports of rain, snow, or mixed precipitation through Mountain Rain or Snow’s mobile phone app. On your phone, visit www.rainorsnow.org/signup to get started. 

Why track winter weather? 

Normally, we think of snow falling at air temperatures below 32°F – but in the world of weather forecasting, that isn’t always the case. In some mountain regions like ours, the shift from snow to rain during winter storms may actually occur at warmer temperatures approaching 38°F. As we know here in Elko County, it’s notoriously difficult to track winter precipitation in the mountains because it can vary over the course of minutes and across short distances. This is why your reports of winter snow and rain are so helpful. 

We launched this project to take on the challenge of improving the prediction of snow accumulation and rainfall. Direct observations, made by people, are the most accurate way to update the technologies that drive our weather forecasts. Sending ground-truthed observations of what is falling from the sky right now is helping to advance these technologies. We welcome reports from work or home, while out in the mountains or on the range, or from the passenger seat of car. 

How can I get started? 

You can text GreatBasin to 855-909-0798 to get started. We have an app that functions through your phone’s browser, so there is no download required. Signing up to get started takes just a minute. 

Sending a report of precipitation is easy: when it is raining, snowing, or a wintry mix, open the app and select the precipitation type. Then hit “Send it!”. 

Mixed precipitation looks like rain that is crystalizing, or snow that is starting to melt and fall more quickly. 

Our team sends weather alerts by text message so our participants know which storms are the most important to send observations. 

For more information about the project, visit www.rainorsnow.org. This project is a collaboration between DRI, UNR, and Lynker. Our team is supported by a grant from NASA.