Spotter Network
Radar is good.
Human observers make it accurate.
NEXRAD radar estimates hail size from electromagnetic signatures. Community spotters measure what actually hits the ground. Both data sources make HailNearMe more reliable.
Report Hail Now
Enter the address where you saw hail — we'll walk you through the photo and size report.
Photo required via phone camera · 50% off a NOAA Radar Evidence Report after verification
The Problem with Radar Alone
Radar sees the cloud. Spotters see the ground.
Radar-derived hail size estimates are computed from algorithms applied to reflectivity data. The NEXRAD beam scans at angles above the horizon — not straight down — which means the beam samples hail at altitude, not where it actually lands. Between the time a hailstone leaves the radar cell and hits the ground, several things can change its size:
Melting
Hailstones begin melting immediately upon exiting the freezing layer. Large stones can lose 0.25–0.5" of diameter before impact.
Wind drift
At terminal velocity (~100 mph for large hail), horizontal winds can carry stones 1–2 km from the radar-observed location.
Beam overshooting
In some high-altitude convective events, the radar beam passes over the hail-producing layer entirely, causing missed detections.
Ground-truth observations from community spotters — even a single verified report from a neighborhood — dramatically improve the reliability of the hail record for that storm cell.
Established Tradition
Built on the NWS SKYWARN legacy
The National Weather Service has operated the SKYWARN spotter program since 1970. Trained SKYWARN spotters provide real-time severe weather observations to NWS forecast offices during active storms. These reports inform warnings, post-storm surveys, and long-term climatological records.
HailNearMe extends this civic-science tradition into the consumer domain. You do not need to be a trained meteorologist or SKYWARN volunteer to contribute — you need a phone, a photo, and the ability to estimate hail size against a reference object.
Learn about official NWS SKYWARN training ↗How to Contribute
Submitting a useful spotter report
Photograph the hailstones
Place a coin, ruler, or other known-size reference object next to the hailstone. Use natural light. Both before and after photos are useful.
Estimate the size
Use the NWS reference scale: pea (0.25"), dime (0.75"), quarter (1.0"), golf ball (1.75"), baseball (2.75"). When in doubt, go smaller.
Report promptly
Submit your report within a few hours of the event. Real-time observations are the most valuable for storm verification.
Enter your address
Use the search field above or below to find your location — we'll route you directly to the spotter submission form for that address.
Ready to report? Enter the address now.
Verification Process
What happens after you submit
All spotter reports are reviewed before being added to the public record. Our review process checks:
- Photo is genuine and shows what appears to be hailstones
- Reported location is consistent with active storm cell on NEXRAD at the time of submission
- Reported hail size is physically plausible given the radar-estimated values
Approved reports create a verified HailNode in the database, which strengthens the detection record for everyone searching that area. Reports that do not pass review are discarded and not used in any dataset.
Spotter Reward
50% off a NOAA Radar Evidence Report
When your spotter report is approved, you receive a promo code for 50% off a NOAA Radar Evidence Report PDF — the same document used by homeowners when filing insurance claims. It's our way of saying thanks for contributing to the public record.
Promo Code
SPOTTER50
Issued after verification
Ready to contribute or check your address?