CSU to Deploy AI Hail Forecasts in 2027
Colorado State University researchers are developing AI-assisted weather forecasts to give earlier warnings for hailstorms across the state.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Forecasts
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Colorado State University will deploy AI-assisted hail forecasts in 2027, linking a specialized version of NVIDIA's Hail-StormScope forecasting system with a previously developed CSU machine-learning model. The project is funded in part by the National Science Foundation.
Why it matters
Heavier storms are occurring more frequently on Colorado's Front Range, and hail has become the largest contributor to the property insurance crisis in Colorado. Earlier, more precise warnings could help residents, farmers and insurers respond to growing hail risk.
The forecasts are being built from projections and early results from the model, with the full system set to deploy in 2027. Whether the extended lead times will hold across all Colorado storm conditions remains to be shown.
The players
Colorado State University
A public research university in Fort Collins, Colorado, leading the development of the AI-assisted hail forecasting project.
Russ Schumacher
A CSU climatologist who runs the statewide network of amateur weather observers feeding data into the hail forecasting system.
NVIDIA
A technology company whose specialized Hail-StormScope forecasting model is being linked with a CSU machine-learning model.
The details
The system will draw on a statewide network of amateur weather observers led by CSU climatologist Russ Schumacher, whose home stations register hailstone size using a foil-covered styrofoam platform before the stones melt. Drones will also be sent after storms to survey hail damage paths, and cross-border work with the University of Wyoming is included in the project.
Timeline
2023: A sudden hailstorm at Red Rocks injured nearly 100 concertgoers.
2027: CSU is scheduled to deploy AI-assisted hail forecasts.
Seasonal Patterns
The project responds to a documented rise in heavier Front Range storms, and it extends the CSU machine-learning model developed earlier, now paired with NVIDIA's Hail-StormScope. Its hail warnings are positioned against current modeling, with lead times projected to grow from hours to possibly days.
Farms could rush to harvest crops or protect animals with days of notice if the extended warnings prove reliable. Residents in hail-prone areas such as Fort Collins may also want to consider hail-resistant roofing, given the rising property insurance costs tied to hail.
The takeaway
Earlier hail warnings could give farmers, drivers and property owners more time to protect assets as heavier storms become more common along the Front Range.
What happens next
CSU is scheduled to deploy the AI-assisted hail forecasts in 2027.
Further reading
Explore more Colorado forecasts to see how hail and storm outlooks are tracked across the state.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Colorado Sun.
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