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Hail and snow reports are a critical bit of help that the general public can give meteorologists to get a better handle on what’s actually happening in real time. Most of the time, meteorologists are stuck in studios or offices, and that makes it hard to get a grasp for what’s happening in their full coverage area.

On Friday, the National Weather Service in Boulder sent out a reminder about how to best measure hail sizes. Here’s what they said:

Severe storms possible late today- know these items for hail size comparison. Storms expected to approach Urban Corridor near 3pm.

— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)

You might notice that coins (pennies, nickels and quarters) help make great reference objects for measuring the size of hail. Coin sizes don’t change, and neither do specific types of sporting balls (ping pong, golf, tennis and baseballs all make the lists as well). That’s why these can be so helpful in accurately and best measuring hail.

One term to avoid that the weather service specifically mentioned in their graphic: marble-sized hail. Marbles are an item that can vary in size, so if one were to send in a report that said marble-sized hail, it doesn’t offer forecasters a clear idea for how large the hail actually was. Apple-sized hail could also fall under this umbrella as certain apples are bigger than others.

If you can, try and include a ruler or an object for reference. Here are a couple of good examples:

https://twitter.com/SteveKersh7/status/1124869326748647424?s=20

When a whole lotta this falls from the sky

— Frederick Dreier (@freddreier)

The final key bit of advice is to wait until the storm passes. Going viral is never worth getting pelted with hail.

Here’s why all of this matters: In addition to collecting the most accurate information possible for climatological records and analysis, it can also make the difference in helping forecasters decide whether or not to issue a Severe Thunderstorm Warning.

Any storm that produces quarter-inch hail or larger is considered to be severe and potentially damaging. If National Weather Service forecasters receive such a report, they know that a storm is severe, and that will likely have a big impact on their decision on whether or not to issue a warning for a particular storm.

Because the weather service issues warnings, if you send in a social media post, tag your local weather service office in it as well: they need the heads-up so they can help issue the most accurate forecast.

For most of us along the Front Range, the office that forecasts for us is the . If you’re in southern Colorado, , and for western Colorado, .

So the next time you see hail and you want to help out with a photo report (to be clear, we love those reports!), keep these tips in mind. Your local meteorologist will thank you later.

Chris Bianchi is a meteorologist for WeatherNation TV.