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Volunteers watch skies to aid forecasters photo by Drew Fleming Marina Kendig, left, was prepared for the rain Tuesday on the campus of Southern Oregon University. About 400 volunteers collect weather data for the Medford weather station in a nine-county region. Many volunteers have been recording rainfall amounts for years in rain gauges supplied by the National Weather Service. Spotters � 400 in region � share fascination with weather By Bill Kettler WHITE CITY � Winter�s big storms may be weeks away, but weather junkies across the Rogue Valley will be ready to help the National Weather Service predict bad weather and floods. Some 40 weather watchers gathered Tuesday to talk about the National Weather Service�s local observer program. Volunteer observers across Southern Oregon and Northern California measure rainfall and report exceptional amounts to the weather service�s Medford station. Forecasters use the data to predict where flooding will occur as well as the intensity and duration of floods. "If you have an inch in 20 minutes, we really want to know about that," said Jim Reynolds, of the weather service, answering an observer�s question about when to call. Observers generally report rainfall when it exceeds 1 inch in 12 hours or 1.5 inches in 24 hours. Reynolds took over the observer program when John Casad retired last fall. He organized the gathering to meet some of his local "staff" and recruit new spotters to replace people who have left the program. About 400 volunteers collect weather data for the Medford weather station in a nine-county region that stretches from the coast to Douglas County in the north, Lake County in the east and California�s Siskiyou and Modoc counties in the south. Many of volunteers have been recording rainfall amounts for years in rain gauges supplied by the weather service. "We�ve been doing this long enough that our rain gauge has started to die," said Bob Land of Jacksonville, who came with his wife, Margaret. "We live on Daisy Creek," he said, "and it�s flooded enough to keep us interested." Veteran spotter Roy Nelson of Central Point said his fascination with weather extends back about as long as he can remember. "It�s a phenomenon that�s so out of (human) control," he said. "I�ve been telling my wife I�m going to go back to school and become a meteorologist." New spotters confessed a similar fascination with weather. "I almost didn�t come here," said Shirley Roberts of Medford. "It�s horribly inconvenient (to come to an evening meeting). This is a chance to learn a little bit." Some new observers brought a more serious interest in wind and rain. Arborist John Kakouris said winter weather has a tremendous effect on his business. "We�re concerned if the wind is going to blow and trees are going to be breaking," he said. "Every day we get out to see what the weather�s doing." Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.