Facial recognition technique could improve hail forecasts

The shape of a severe storm, such as this one, is an important factor in whether the storm produces hail and how large the hailstones are, but current hail-prediction techniques are typically not able to take the storm's entire structure into account. NCAR scientists are experimenting with a new machine-learning technique that can process images to weigh the impact of storm shape and potentially improve hail forecasts. This image is freely available for media and nonprofit use.) The same artificial intelligence technique typically used in facial recognition systems could help improve prediction of hailstorms and their severity, according to a new study from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Instead of zeroing in on the features of an individual face, scientists trained a deep learning model called a convolutional neural network to recognize features of individual storms that affect the formation of hail and how large the hailstones will be, both of which are notoriously difficult to predict.