Tracking Colorado Deep Hail, The CHAT Project

news image
Special Stories
23 May 2018 3:34 AM
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, hail damage costs can range in the billions of dollars annually. For instance, several of the United States' 2017 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters involved severe storms and hail, including the devastating severe storms and hail events that impacted Colorado and the central United States during May 2017.     This makes it very important to track deep hail events and why the National Weather Service and the University of Colorado have partnered on the Colorado Hail Accumulations from Thunderstorms (CHAT) Project, a project that is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The CHAT Project is an effort to better understand and eventually forecast the thunderstorms that produce these events, and the CHAT Project needs the help of the public. The NWS and University of Colorado have developed a radar-based algorithm that can determine hail depth, and once deep hail is indicated with the algorithm, volunteers would be asked to go out and verify hail depths, along with taking pictures of the hail. Verification of the NWS/CU hail algorithm could potentially lead to better forecasting of the types of thunderstorms that produce deep hail events and potentially lead to better protections for society from financial losses due to hail. The project runs from May to September, 2018. If anyone is interested in volunteering for the project, contact Dr. Katja Friedrich at Katja.Friedrich@Colorado.edu. You can also learn more about the CHAT project at http://clouds.colorado.edu/deephail/. For WeatherNation, I am Meteorologist Marcus Walter.
All Weather News
More
Severe Storms Target the Plains & South

Severe Storms Target the Plains & South

A frontal boundary has tapped into plentiful

3 Nov 2026 2:05 AM
Torrential Downpours Batter the Sunshine State

Torrential Downpours Batter the Sunshine State

Florida has seen heavy rainfall and lots of f

3 Nov 2026 2:05 AM
Tropics Update: Atlantic System Bears Watching as Pacific Development Becomes Likely

Tropics Update: Atlantic System Bears Watching as Pacific Development Becomes Likely

November is underway, but hurricane season is

3 Nov 2026 1:55 AM
Recapping the Significant Flooding in the Southwest

Recapping the Significant Flooding in the Southwest

The Southwest is getting active once again wi

2 Nov 2026 7:20 PM
Skiing Opens in the Rockies, Heavy Snow on the Way

Skiing Opens in the Rockies, Heavy Snow on the Way

Time to wax the skis and grab the winter gear

2 Nov 2026 7:10 PM
HALLOWEEN 2026: Is the weather a Trick or a Treat?

HALLOWEEN 2026: Is the weather a Trick or a Treat?

Hopefully the costume's picked out by now, th

31 Oct 2026 10:05 PM
Flash Flood Concerns Across Texas Ahead of Halloween

Flash Flood Concerns Across Texas Ahead of Halloween

A surge of tropical moisture associated with

30 Oct 2026 6:00 PM