mPING
Free App
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About mPING
Welcome to the new and improved mPING app!
The National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) and The University of Oklahoma's Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) needs your help with our research!
The Meteorological Phenomena Identification Near the Ground project (mPING) needs you, the Citizen Scientist, to watch and report on precipitation.
mPING is looking for volunteers of all ages and backgrounds to make observations - teachers, classes, families, everyone and anyone! This app and associated web pages are your portal to providing observations to the research meteorologists at NSSL that will help us develop and refine algorithms that use the newly upgraded dual-polarization NEXRAD radars to detect and report on the type of precipitation that you see falling. To do a good job, we need tens of thousands of observations form all over the US. We can succeed only with your help.
mPING volunteer observers can spend as much time as they want, from a little to a lot, making observations. The basic idea is simple: NSSL will collect radar data from NEXRAD radars in your area along with sounding data from our models during storm events, and use your data to develop and validate new and better algorithms. We have two focus areas: winter precipitation type, such as rain, freezing rain, drizzle, freezing drizzle, snow, graupel, ice pellets, mixed rain and snow, mixed ice pellets and snow and even observations of “none” when the precipitation has stopped, even if only briefly.
Why? Because the radars cannot see close to the ground at far distances and because automated surface sensors are only at airports. But the people affected by winter weather are everywhere so we need you to tell us what is happening where you are.
But we need more than winter weather details: when there are thunderstorms, we need to know if hail falls and, if it does how big it is. Measuring with a ruler is best but, whatever you do, stay safe.
All you need to do is use this app to select the precipitation type. Tell us what is hitting the ground. NSSL scientists will compare your report with what the radar has detected and what our models think the atmosphere is doing, and use it to develop new technologies and techniques to determine what kind of precipitation such as snow, ice, rain or hail and its size is falling where.
The National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) and The University of Oklahoma's Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) needs your help with our research!
The Meteorological Phenomena Identification Near the Ground project (mPING) needs you, the Citizen Scientist, to watch and report on precipitation.
mPING is looking for volunteers of all ages and backgrounds to make observations - teachers, classes, families, everyone and anyone! This app and associated web pages are your portal to providing observations to the research meteorologists at NSSL that will help us develop and refine algorithms that use the newly upgraded dual-polarization NEXRAD radars to detect and report on the type of precipitation that you see falling. To do a good job, we need tens of thousands of observations form all over the US. We can succeed only with your help.
mPING volunteer observers can spend as much time as they want, from a little to a lot, making observations. The basic idea is simple: NSSL will collect radar data from NEXRAD radars in your area along with sounding data from our models during storm events, and use your data to develop and validate new and better algorithms. We have two focus areas: winter precipitation type, such as rain, freezing rain, drizzle, freezing drizzle, snow, graupel, ice pellets, mixed rain and snow, mixed ice pellets and snow and even observations of “none” when the precipitation has stopped, even if only briefly.
Why? Because the radars cannot see close to the ground at far distances and because automated surface sensors are only at airports. But the people affected by winter weather are everywhere so we need you to tell us what is happening where you are.
But we need more than winter weather details: when there are thunderstorms, we need to know if hail falls and, if it does how big it is. Measuring with a ruler is best but, whatever you do, stay safe.
All you need to do is use this app to select the precipitation type. Tell us what is hitting the ground. NSSL scientists will compare your report with what the radar has detected and what our models think the atmosphere is doing, and use it to develop new technologies and techniques to determine what kind of precipitation such as snow, ice, rain or hail and its size is falling where.
All Application Badges
Free
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Android
2.3+
2.3+
Bug
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Android app
App History & Updates
What's Changed
Improved user interface
Submits to a NEW database via HTTPS
Supports dynamic language selection with new languages being added constantly
New report display with world wide viewing
Improved user interface
Submits to a NEW database via HTTPS
Supports dynamic language selection with new languages being added constantly
New report display with world wide viewing
More downloads mPING reached 10 000 - 50 000 downloads
What are users saying about mPING
X
by X####:
by X####:
I used mPING extensively for a couple of years, had to uninstall due to internal storage issues and forgot to reinstall. Right now (03/05/17, 0530 EST) there is no rain, despite the Accuweather app that came with my phone reporting light rain. I live 3.5 miles from TIA where the weather reporting instrumentation is. Now, I can look at reports in mPING and see what my neighbors are experiencing despite what the weather app tells me. Happy reinstall.
Z
by Z####:
by Z####:
No matter what specific condition I select, the system always defaults to the first option in any major category. So my drizzle reports come out as rain, dime hail as pea, etc.
Z
by Z####:
by Z####:
You definitely need to brighten up the map. Very hard to see in indirect sunlight.
J
by J####:
by J####:
Great app and love the concept. Very easy to use, no ads. Interesting to see other users' reports around the area. Hope it actually does some good for the ongoing research!
E
by E####:
by E####:
For a small app it is very non responsive.. uninstalling.
M
by M####:
by M####:
Like the app great for sending reports while in the field it would be nice to see a thunderstorm selection would help in sending accurate reports
Z
by Z####:
by Z####:
Have used this and the earlier version over a year now. Works well.
Z
by Z####:
by Z####:
Needs the option to report lightning
Z
by Z####:
by Z####:
Glad to be a part of your project to building better forecasting abilities!
Z
by Z####:
by Z####:
Great app. Curious as to why Thunderstorm is not an option
R
by R####:
by R####:
first class, a huge improvement
Z
by Z####:
by Z####:
Good for Oklahoma city
A
by A####:
by A####:
Worked well before hopefully new version does the same
D
by D####:
by D####:
I have been a storm chaser 11 years I love apps like this
V
by V####:
by V####:
Great app!
T
by T####:
by T####:
Love this app! Enjoy helping any chance I get! UI is a lot better! Not quite a home run but a solid stand up double! Keep up the good work OU!
E
by E####:
by E####:
Nice app but really wish you guys could add to the reduced visibility for blowing snow. Great team thank you for adding the blowing snow to the app!
A
by A####:
by A####:
Visually more appealing, now on par with the ios app.
T
by T####:
by T####:
On Samsung S5...when I view map it looks like a satellite night shot. Hard to see features. I like the concept and work that has been done. mPing received mention at our NWS Skywarn training.
C
by C####:
by C####:
Don't know what to do
S
by S####:
by S####:
Love the new interface and added weather conditions/severities
S
by S####:
by S####:
Great app for storm chasing keep up the good work
T
by T####:
by T####:
Great new look
T
by T####:
by T####:
I love the changes and will be getting full use out of it this storm season as I am spotting as well as using #ounspot
J
by J####:
by J####:
The old version was good. This is better still. Great way for folks to contribute to better forecasts! ☔❄⚡
by H####:
Never received a notification yellow "x" to let me know that the "test" report I submitted was acknowledged. And was working properly. Also the map does not display anything just a blue screen. Ive even cleared cache,temp,history,. Etc and still nothing. Along with the the lil markers are so tiny you can't see them unless you zoom in. Therefore unistalling app. Also the device I'm using is a samsung s6 active smart phone with android operating system. Also would be nice if you could see what others are reporting for your area.