THURSDAY: Two Hail Research Projects using CoCoRaHS Data

CoCoRaHS has been included in two exciting hail observation projects going happening in certain parts of the United States - and you can help participate by reporting hail, even if you aren't in the specific project target areas.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funded the first comprehensive hail-focused field campaign in the U.S. in over 40 years, called ICECHIP, or the In-Situ Collaborative Experiment for the Collection of Hail in the Plains. There was a field campaign taking place over a six-week period last summer where the team deployed mobile radars, drones, laser scanners and high-resolution cameras, and collect CoCoRaHS hail reports (and photos) with a goal of improving risk mitigation strategies while focusing on education and collaboration. Click on the ICECHIP logo below to view the project page for more.

CoCoRaHS is also part of a NASA project called SEaRCH (Southeast Region CoCoRaHS Hail) and is also continuing their research on hail this summer. Using satellites, NASA scientists can detect hail in the clouds and compare them with reports (and photos) from the ground. The goal is to improve our ability to better understand how hail melts as it falls to the ground. If you'd like a deep dive into how scientists can use satellites to detect hail, check out this two-page poster.

How can you get involved?  You already are! Make sure to submit a hail report (and photos) if you experience a hail event and your data will be helping more scientists than ever before!