LSR Storm Report Sources

[Morgan Palmer]

Interesting LSR from Greenville/Spartanburg. Most TV folks or Skywarn spotters wouldn't relay a "hearsay" report, so why would the NWS? Just because some goober walked into the post office? Also, it looks like, from his comments, the hail could have been just about any size!

The problem is, insurance companies and news outlets will use this kind of unreliable report, because it then comes through an official agency.

0254 PM HAIL 5 WSW HIGHLANDS 35.03N 83.28W
08/05/2005 1.75 INCH MACON NC PUBLIC

THE SCALY MOUNTAIN POST OFFICE EMPLOYEE SAID AT THEIR
LOCATION ONLY MARBLE SIZED HAIL...BUT A GUY CAME INTO HE
POST OFFICE A SHORT TIME LATER SAYING THAT HE SAW HAIL
THAT WAS AT LEAST GOLF BALL SIZED AND IN HIS WORDS MAYBE AS LARGE AS GRAPEFRUIT. HE LIVES BETWEEN SCALY AND
HIGHLANDS.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

SAYING THAT HE SAW HAIL
THAT WAS AT LEAST GOLF BALL SIZED AND IN HIS WORDS MAYBE AS LARGE AS GRAPEFRUIT. HE LIVES BETWEEN SCALY AND
HIGHLANDS.

:lol: :lol: So it was somewhere between golfball and grapefruit?! If that doesn't sound like an unreliable report, then I have no idea what does.

 

[Mike Peregrine]

lol - Well I think if a guy comes into a post office, of course it's reliable!

But we should also include the guys telling stories out on benches in front of the five and dime too ... maybe go back to alter a few storm reports from 50 years ago:

"There was a twister so wide that it covered all of Jackson and Clay counties at the same time, and moved Smithville Lake 10 miles to where it is now."

 

[Anthony Silver]

Interesting LSR from Greenville/Spartanburg. Most TV folks or Skywarn spotters wouldn't relay a "hearsay" report, so why would the NWS? Just because some goober walked into the post office? Also, it looks like, from his comments, the hail could have been just about any size!

The problem is, insurance companies and news outlets will use this kind of unreliable report, because it then comes through an official agency.

0254 PM HAIL 5 WSW HIGHLANDS 35.03N 83.28W
08/05/2005 1.75 INCH MACON NC PUBLIC

THE SCALY MOUNTAIN POST OFFICE EMPLOYEE SAID AT THEIR
LOCATION ONLY MARBLE SIZED HAIL...BUT A GUY CAME INTO HE
POST OFFICE A SHORT TIME LATER SAYING THAT HE SAW HAIL
THAT WAS AT LEAST GOLF BALL SIZED AND IN HIS WORDS MAYBE AS LARGE AS GRAPEFRUIT. HE LIVES BETWEEN SCALY AND
HIGHLANDS.

I don't even know why they accepted the report in the first place, most WFO's want (at the very least) an estimate size, or an actual measurement. I know that the "in between" or "not sure" stuff ticks them off royally and the report will eventually end up in the trash. IMO, sounds like that post office report could be very bogus...or the dude has a serious issue with hallucinations...or has a hard time making up his mind. Either way they should have done some further verification before releasing the report.