NSSL Projects: mPING Weather Types Explained

mPING WEATHER TYPES EXPLAINED

What are all of those weather types that are listed in the mPING app? How do you tell the difference between freezing rain and freezing drizzle?

Test

Sends a test report to confirm that OU received your report; you will see a small yellow X appear to show your report was received.

Rain and/or Snow

None: No precipitation occurring; most useful shortly before precipitation begins and after it ends
Drizzle: Very small, fine, numerous, and uniformly distributed water drops that may appear to float while following air currents
Freezing Drizzle: Drizzle that freezes into glaze or rime upon contact with the cold ground or surface structures
Rain: Liquid water drops that remain liquid upon reaching the ground or exposed objects
Freezing Rain: Rain that falls as a liquid but freezes upon impact to form a coating or glaze of ice on exposed objects (this will occur well before any ice forms on the ground)
Ice Pellets/Sleet: Small translucent balls of ice consisting of frozen raindrops (not to be confused with hail, which occurs with thunderstorms in the warm season). Ice pellets will usually bounce upon hitting the ground or other hard surfaces
Snow: Frozen precipitation most often in the form of flakes or aggregates of ice crystals; sometimes individual ice crystals
Mixed Rain & Snow: Usually has the consistency of slush; almost never results in any accumulation
Mixed Rain & Ice Pellets: Often occurs as wet ice pellets mixed with raindrops; sometimes occurs as falling raindrops containing one or perhaps few small pieces or chunks of ice (not snow)
Mixed Freezing Rain & Ice Pellets: Freezing rain falling with ice pellets; sometimes ice pellets are encased in a frozen glaze
Mixed ice Pellets & Snow: Ice pellets falling with snow

Hail (include size)

A chunk of ice falling from the sky ranging from the size of a pea to a grapefruit; hail occurs exclusively in thunderstorms. Sleet is not tiny hail but is instead produced by a different process.

Wind Damage

Severity 1 (Damage Trivial): Lawn furniture & trash cans displaced; small twigs broken off
Severity 2 (Damage Mild): 1 inch tree limbs broken; shingles blown off
Severity 3 (Damage Moderate): 3 inch tree limbs broken; power poles down
Severity 4 (Damage Severe): Large trees uprooted or snapped; roofs blown off
Severity 5 (Damage Extreme): Homes and buildings destroyed

Water Spout

Not displayed but sent to the NWS

Tornado (on ground)

Not displayed but sent to the NWS

Flood

Severity 1 (Flood Minor): River/creek overflowing; cropland/yard/basement flooding
Severity 2 (Flood Moderate): Street/road flooding; stranded vehicles
Severity 3 (Flood Serious): Homes and buildings filled with water
Severity 4 (Flood Severe): Homes, buildings and cars swept away

Mudslide/Landslide

Areas of soil/mud that become loose due to lots of rainfall and then slide down a hillside; sometimes an entire hillside will come loose in a layer and slide

Reduced Visibility

Dense Fog: Visibility reduction caused by very tiny condensed water droplets so small that they cannot be individually distinguished; essentially a cloud on the ground
Blowing Dust/Sand: Visibility reduction caused by strong winds lofting sand and dust, most often from dry and barren soil
Blowing Snow: Snow lifted from the surface by the wind that reduces visibility; blowing snow can come from falling snow or snow that has already accumulated on the ground
Snow Squall: Rapid onset of intense but short-lived heavy snow and gusty winds resulting in near whiteout conditions (visibility 1/4 mile or less)