W-PING Project

Every PING counts…

The National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) needs YOUR help with a research project!

If you live in the area shown on the map, the Winter-Precipitation Identification Near the Ground project (W-PING) wants YOU to watch and report on precipitation.

W-PING is looking for young, old, and in-between volunteers to make observations - teachers, classes and families too! We have collected over 4,000 observations since 2006, and making W-PING successful because of your help.

W-PING volunteers can spend a little or a lot of time making observations. The basic idea is simple: NSSL will collect radar data from NEXRAD radars in your area during winter storm events, and compare that data with YOUR observations.

Why? Because the radars cannot see close to the ground, we need YOU to tell us what is happening.

Are snowflakes fallin’ on your head? Are you getting pinged by ice pellets? Tell us where you are and what is hitting the ground. NSSL scientists will compare your report with what the radar has detected, and develop new radar technologies and techniques to determine what kind of precipitation – such as snow, ice, or rain-is falling where.

The report is easy! Click on the “I Want to Volunteer!” button (or the report form link to the left) to check it out. We only ask for the date, time, location, and precipitation type. If you would like to report temperature, wind speed and direction, we will take that too – but it is not required. There is no commitment, and no minimum amount of reports.

We need as many observations as we can get! Check us out on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!