Minnesota is fortunate to have over 1,300 volunteer observers in the High Spatial Density (HIDEN) Precipitation Network. These volunteers gather precipitation data on a daily basis. The HIDEN Network project began in the early 1970's and is made up of precipitation monitoring networks maintained by water-sensitive government agencies. Volunteers forward precipitation data to various local, state and federal sponsors. The data are transferred to the State Climatology Office (SCO) where they are digitized, archived, and analyzed using a PC-based database. The data are readily available to the public via the SCO Web site. Some cooperating agencies utilize the SCO Web site to enter their data directly into the database.

Warm season precipitation patterns in the upper Midwest are highly variable across space. The spatial detail offered by the HIDEN Network enables the SCO to present an accurate depiction of Minnesota's precipitation climate. Data collected by the HIDEN Network are useful for a number of applications. Some examples include: hydrologists monitoring watersheds, forest researchers examining pest infestations exaggerated by moisture stress, engineers studying road washouts, and homeowners investigating wet basement problems.