Whether the weather is measured is, to a degree, in the hands of volunteers across the nation.

The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, or CoCoRaHS, is searching for recruits in the Inland Northwest as part of its "March Madness 2013" campaign to boost numbers of volunteers.

The 54 volunteer observers in the North Idaho region are part of the national network, which comprises thousands of observers of all ages and backgrounds who simply measure and report the weather in their own backyards.

"We plan to target community groups, weather enthusiasts and area schools with the goal of having at least one CoCoRaHS station in each small city or town," said Robin Fox, meteorologist with the Spokane National Weather Service and regional CoCoRaHS coordinator for eastern Washington and North Idaho.

Fox, along with fellow NWS meteorologist and CoCoRaHS coordinator Ellie Kelch, are hoping to get people involved to help fill in the "gaps" that occur between NWS rain gauges.

Official rain and snow reports are measured at the Spokane, Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint airports. The gauges can be anywhere from 25 to more than 50 miles apart and across varied topography, leaving spaces where weather can stray from what is recorded.

"You can miss quite a bit of rain or snow data that way," Kelch said.

Volunteer observers like Ernie Niegel help improve the accuracy of precipitation reports.

Niegel was the first CoCoRaHS volunteer in Kootenai County when he joined in 2008.

He said his dad was a weather spotter for the NWS via ham radio, and he felt he would take over for him in his citizenly duties of reporting the weather in Spirit Lake.

Niegel contacted the NWS and spoke with Fox, who told him about CoCoRaHS. Niegel checks his gauge daily.

"You get into a pattern and you just report it," Niegel said.

He enjoys being a part of the program, and the only time it gets difficult is when North Idaho is under siege from heavy snowfall.

Niegel has even received a couple phone calls from the NWS when it notices erratic weather in this region.

"They want a live update," he said. "I'll tell them, 'Yeah, it's raining like crazy out here.'"

CoCoRaHS is a nonprofit that offers online training for new volunteers. The North Idaho region does not have a physical training facility, but that may change as more recruits are brought on board.

"There are so many people who have pride in observing weather, and they want to share with others the weather that is happening at their homes," Fox said. "It is amazing how many people get excited about the weather."

It is free to join the program with the exception of the cost of a rain gauge.

Info: www.cocorahs.org