Tuesday, March 3, 2009

New Severe Storm Hail Criteria

The National Weather Service offices in the Central Region has implemented an increased hail size criteria for severe storms. Beginning this year, hail of 1" in diameter is needed in order for a storm to reach severe limits because of hail (the wind criteria of 58 mph. has remained the same). There has been discussion about this, and Kansas implemented a trial period of the change last year which prompted some positive responses.

Basically two reasons have spawned this change:

  • Current research shows that hail needs to be 1" to cause any real property damage


  • Too many storms reaching severe limits cause desensitization of the public when many severe storm warnings are posted. With fewer storm warnings, it is the NWS hopes that the public will take them more seriously.

Watch the informational video here.

6 comments:

Josh Herman said...

Imagine getting bonked on the head from one of those larger hail stones... *sheesh*

Ami Jo said...

Great post! Even greater pictures!! I think that hail stone is still in the freezer at their dad's house.

WxWatcher said...

OSNW3, imagine what THESE would feel like!

Ami, I didn't know you saved it! I would love to slice through a hail stone like this so I could have a picture of the layers.

Ami Jo said...

Actually, it may be gone now. I have been gone for a few months, and that storm was almost a year ago. We did have them for quite a while. Those were some beautiful hail stones. I wish I had a better camera to take some good close-ups of it. You could really see the layers in those.

I'm working on getting a new camera, but it may be after our peak storm season before I get it.

Back to the topic of your post... I am glad to hear that the NWS has upped the requirements for a "severe storm". I agree that people are not taking a severe storm threat as seriously as they should. Fewer of them being issued will certainly help.

Josh Herman said...

Whoa! WxWatcher, that would kill me. :)

Anonymous said...

That's a bad thought, OSNW3.... a bad thought....:)