How Deep Learning Could Improve Forecasts for Damaging Storms

Imagine tens of thousands of golf balls falling from the sky at more than 100 mph, and you’ll get an idea of the damage hail can wreak. In just a few minutes, it can batter and ruin crops, dent cars and smash windshields, and even bash holes in houses and buildings — resulting in billions of dollars in losses. “Because hail is so damaging, we want to be able to forecast it more reliably so people can take shelter and protect their property,” said David Gagne II, a postdoctoral fellow at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, in a talk at the GPU Technology Conference this week.