Change to Severe Thunderstorm Criteria

[Smjh1979]

Effective immediately, severe thunderstorm criteria is changing in the western half of the US this summer. Severe thunderstorm winds of 58 MPH is still the same. That is not changing.

What is changing is the hail size. The old warning size was 3/4" (0.75") of hail and larger. This summer, that is changing to 1" size and larger.

Eastern states will remain at 3/4" for this season, but if this goes well, very soon and possibly next year, all of the US will adopt the 1" hail size for severe thunderstorms.

For more information, click here: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/fgz/information ... hp?wfo=fgz

EDIT: This also applies to the Central areas of the US, including Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and other northern states.

[owensri]

Yep, this was discussed at this year's spotter training classes I went to. I don't agree with that change at all...as 3/4" hail can be damaging, and definatly hurts if your outside in it.

[AndyWS]

Actually, I agree with the change. 3/4" is too small to damage anything but crops unless strongly wind-driven, and storms that are capable of producing it are too common. "Severe" should be a rare enough designation that the public takes notice when a warning is issued.

[Smjh1979]

The only "flaw" I see is that when hail actually gets 3/4", there will be no alert on weather radios out here.

The NWS here doesn't sound the weather radios for Short Term Forecasts or "Significant Weather Alerts" that our NWS doesn't use.

Maybe they should come up with a new category such as "Strong Thunderstorm Advisory" or something like that for hail between 0.50" to 1" hail.

While I do agree that 1" hail does do more damage (This September will mark the 10 year anniversary of the time that 1.75" hail came through, and made short work of our skylights), half inch to 1" still needs some alert by weather radio or something like that.

[Josh]

The NWS here doesn't sound the weather radios for Short Term Forecasts or "Significant Weather Alerts" that our NWS doesn't use.

Maybe they should come up with a new category such as "Strong Thunderstorm Advisory" or something like that for hail between 0.50" to 1" hail.

I don't know about a "Significant Weather Alert", but our local NWS does use something called a "Special Weather Statement" for strong thunderstorms below severe warning criteria.

I could be wrong, but I believe it does activate the weather radio alert.

[Smjh1979]

Our NWS doesn't use Special Weather Statements anymore for some odd reason.

And because of that, no alerts are posted on weather radio for this feature.

[Smjh1979]

I found a survey regarding the changes to 1" hail.

http://www.weather.gov/survey/nws-surve ... =1incha-WR

If you feel like completing it, go ahead.