The bigger the hailstone, the more damage it can cause. But scientists find that predicting hailstone size can be challenging. How quickly does hail melt as it falls?
Now, you can help tackle this question by joining the SouthEAst REgion CoCoRaHS Hail (SEaRCH) project. This network of backyard weather observers includes volunteers of all ages and backgrounds who work together to measure and report hail in their local communities. SEaRCH is also part of the NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), and National Science Foundation supported Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow (CoCoRaHS) network, whose amateur weather sleuths report rain and snow.. These rain and snow observations are helping scientists better understand local variation in precipitation. CoCoRaHS data is regularly used by the National Weather Service, the Hydrologic Prediction Center, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Drought Mitigation Center, broadcast meteorologists, research scientists, and more.
“I love the project, and I love being able to contribute meaningful data,” says Jeremy Kichler, a CoCoRaHS volunteer.
On June 14, 2023, Kichler witnessed a storm with hailstones ranging from 0.5 inches (12 mm) to two inches (51 mm) in diameter. The hailstones dented cars, damaged roof shingles, and shredded leaves across his neighborhood. After the storm, he submitted a CoCoRaHS hail report to notify the Nation …