Measuring Hail

Source: Hail Pad | CoCoRaHS

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Source: Record Hail Stone | Wikimedia

When it comes to measuring hail, it’s always important to be safe when observing hail. Never stand outside or by a window if it is hailing. By measuring hail produced by a thunderstorm, scientists are able to use the data to help make better predictions of which storms can produce hail in the future.

Once it’s safe to go outside, collect the largest, smallest and most common hailstone and measure their diameters. It’s also important to make notes about the color, shape and density of the hailstones.

Some people also use hail pads to help measure hail from thunderstorms.