Minimum size for severe hail nationwide changes today

[Jared Thompson]

Beginning January 5, 2010, the minimum size for severe hail nationwide increases to one inch (quarter-size) diameter. There will not be a change to the wind gust criterion of 58 mph.

http://www.weather.gov/oneinchhail/

They finally went nation wide now I wonder how many less warnings we will see.

 

[swilson]

They may be a good thing as we seem get a lot of false alarms here. At least in my estimation (and a few others i know think) we do. But after the tornado of 1999 here, who can blame them?

Speaking of changes, as a kid, i remember sirens for tornado warnings, they blare them here for tornado watches.

 

[Jason Boggs]

I think it's a good thing that the criteria has been changed.

 

[Karla Dorman]

I think it's a very good thing. Perhaps the public won't be so blase' about warnings now. We can only hope.

 

[Mark Ellinwood]

I think it's a very good thing. Perhaps the public won't be so blase' about warnings now. We can only hope.

That's depending on 1) when they realize that the new criteria are now in effect, and 2) when they realize that the only hail that gets warned now is hail that's potentially harmful to things like their vehicle.

 

[rdale]

It's been in effect for most of the country for a year now, and the public didn't notice a thing. I can't imagine how the 1/4" difference would revolutionize public perception - most SVR's still won't do anything other than blow around their garbage cans.

 

[Jeff Richardson]

I agree that the public's perception, and ambivalence, toward SVR warnings won't change much. For years I've thought that NOAA should 'raise the bar' on what's considered a severe thunderstorm. A meager change in only 1/4" for hail size won't make much of a difference for your average folk who aren't 'weatherwise.'

 

[Richard Dickson]

Does this mean that those chasers who jump out of the vehicle to collect hailstones will be considered 'sissies' if they put on the football helmet before the hail size gets to one inch?

I can see that we are going to have to start a thread about who is a veteran hail collector and how they got the title.