ICECHIP

Why It Matters - Hailstorms cause billions in damage and pose risks to life and property. ICECHIP data will improve hail detection, forecasting, and warnings to protect communities.

Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), ICECHIP was the first U.S. hail-focused field campaign in over 40 years. Using modern instrumentation and advanced numerical models, researchers from 15 institutions and 3 international partners deployed a fully mobile network for ~6 weeks across the U.S. Front Range and Central Plains, capturing observations from a wide variety of hailstorms and hail types. This first-of-its-kind dataset will drive improvements in radar-based hail detection, hail modeling forecasting, and warning systems. 

ICECHIP addresses five key hail science themes:

• Theme 1: Study hailstone growth and fall behavior to improve microphysical models.

• Theme 2: Validate hail trajectory models and link updrafts to surface hail production.

• Theme 3: Assess environmental impacts on hail forecasting skill.

• Theme 4: Connect hailstone properties to damage potential on materials and structures.

• Theme 5: Enhance radar-based hail detection and link updrafts to hail mass and damage.