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
Western Heat Wave Pushes into Work Week

Western Heat Wave Pushes into Work Week

Another ridge of high pressure is parked over

16 Jun 2026 2:25 AM
Chances of Tropical Development Increase in the Atlantic

Chances of Tropical Development Increase in the Atlantic

AtlanticThe first area of investigation of th

16 Jun 2026 2:20 AM
Heavy Rain Overwhelms Texas

Heavy Rain Overwhelms Texas

TEXAS - Heavy rain has already led to issues

16 Jun 2026 2:20 AM
Rounds of Severe Weather This Week

Rounds of Severe Weather This Week

The Midwest, Great Lakes, and the Northeast h

16 Jun 2026 2:00 AM
Welcome To Monsoon Season - Here's What to Expect

Welcome To Monsoon Season - Here's What to Expect

WELCOME TO THE NORTH AMERICAN MONSOON SEASON.

15 Jun 2026 8:00 PM
El Niño Forms, Very Strong El Niño Likely Late 2026

El Niño Forms, Very Strong El Niño Likely Late 2026

El Niño has arrived! It didn't take long for

15 Jun 2026 8:00 AM
Confirmed Tornadoes in Ohio and Pennsylvania on Sunday

Confirmed Tornadoes in Ohio and Pennsylvania on Sunday

A cold front on Sunday brought severe weather

15 Jun 2026 1:50 AM