===== Hail Verification Method ===== ==== 1. Case Identification ==== === a. Convection must maintain at least 30 dBZ for at least 15 minutes === === b. Identify if the cell was seeded at any point === ==== 2. Proximity Soundings ==== === a. 17Z-03Z indicates daytime convection and limits model uncertainty === === b. Cells found on radar must be shown within 3 counties and/or three hours on the model for the event to be used === === c. Once a case is good, proximity soundings are manually selected based on: === == i. Sounding location must be outside of the outflow boundary == == ii. Sounding location must be downwind of cell motion == == iii. Sounding location can’t be within any convection == ==== 3. Determine forecasted hail size ==== === a. If LHP>5.8 m3/s3 and Cravens index > 28926 m3/s3 hail is classified as greater than 2 inches === === b. If LHP<5.8 m3/s3 and Cravens index < 28926 m3/s3 HAILCAST is used to determine if there is any potential for hail === == i. If HAILCAST shows nothing the case does not have hail potential == == ii. If HAILCAST has indications of hail, size is then evaluated == === c. If only one of LHP or Craven’s index exceed 5.8 m3/s3 or 28926 m3/s3 respectively severe weather indices must be considered=== == i. If either MLCAPE or LI and either sfc-6km shear or BRN are red hail potential is greater than 2 inches == == ii. If MLCAPE, LI, and BRN are green, there is hail potential, but less than 2 inch hail == == iii. If MLCAPE, LI, and BRN are yellow: == 1. If sfc-6km shear is red the hail potential is greater than 2 inch hail 2. If sfc-6km shear is not red, use SWEAT index. a. If SWEAT is greater than 300 hail potential is greater than 2 inches b. If SWEAT is less than 300, hail potential is less than 2 inches ==== 4. Preprocess level 2 radar data ==== === a. Pull radar files from Amazon Web Service archive === === b. Convert radar files to Cartesian coordinates using Pyart === == i. should be netCDF format == === c. Collect proximity sounding data from UND-WRF model === == i. A Python script pulls all necessary parameters for the HRA == == i. Sounding data must be edited so any missing data spots are filled with zero == ==== 5. Run the hail size retrieval algorithm focusing on the 1-4km CAPPIs to determine if there was no hail, less than 2 inch hail, or greater than 2 inch hail ====