Hail is a multibillion-dollar problem – and could get worse
3 hours ago
- Atmospheric researcher Anthony Bernal Ayala analyzes hailstones by slicing them like tree rings to study their layers, which reveal how and when they formed.
- Hail accounts for 60-80% of severe thunderstorm damage, causing over $50 billion in annual losses from 2023-2025, with Colorado being one of the most hail-prone states.
- The ICECHIP project, a $11 million NSF-funded campaign in spring 2025, brought together 100 scientists to study hail comprehensively for the first time in over 40 years.
- Researchers used radar trucks, drones, high-speed cameras, disdrometers, and hail-like probes to capture data on hail growth, size, and impact.
- The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), which houses the hail lab and samples, faces an uncertain future after the Trump administration attempted to dissolve it, leading to a lawsuit and temporary court block.
- Climate change may increase the frequency of large hailstones due to stronger updrafts, while rising development in hail hot spots, known as the 'expanding bull's-eye effect,' drives up insured losses.
- In response, Fort Collins and other Front Range communities have adopted hail-resistant roofing requirements, and ICECHIP researchers are studying ways to improve building materials.