mPing 2.2.2

The NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory and The University of Oklahoma's Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies are seeking assistance with severe weather research.

The Meteorological Phenomena Identification Near the Ground project (mPING) is inviting individuals of all ages and backgrounds to contribute as Citizen Scientists. Your role will involve watching and reporting on precipitation.

mPING is in need of volunteers - teachers, classes, families, and anyone else who is interested! This app will serve as your platform for providing observations to NSSL researchers. Your reports will be invaluable in the development and refinement of algorithms that utilize upgraded dual-polarization NEXRAD radars to detect and classify different types of precipitation. To achieve accurate results, we are relying on tens of thousands of observations from across the United States. Your help is essential for our success.

As an mPING volunteer observer, you can dedicate as much or as little time as you wish to making observations. The concept is straightforward: NSSL will collect radar data from nearby NEXRAD radars and combine it with sounding data from our models during storm events. Your data will be used to create and validate improved algorithms. We have a special focus on winter precipitation types, including rain, freezing rain, drizzle, freezing drizzle, snow, graupel, ice pellets, mixed rain and snow, mixed ice pellets and snow. We also welcome reports of "none" when precipitation has ceased, even momentarily.

Our motivation stems from the fact that radars have limitations in detecting ground-level activity at long distances, and automated sensors solely exist at airports. However, winter weather impacts people in various locations, which is why we need you to inform us about conditions where you are situated.

But it's not just winter weather that needs attention - during thunderstorms, we require information about hail occurrence, as well as its size. While measuring with a ruler is preferable, your safety is of utmost importance.

All you have to do is utilize this app to select the precipitation type and inform us about what you observe reaching the ground. NSSL scientists will compare your report with radar detections and atmospheric data from our models. This will enable us to advance technologies and techniques for determining the type of precipitation (such as snow, ice, rain, or hail) and its size at different locations.