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Reporting Procedures
- When you observe weather conditions that meet or exceed the criteria listed below, telephone your report
immediately to the Missoula National Weather Service office.
Severe Weather Criteria
- TORNADO (on the ground) or FUNNEL CLOUD (not touching the ground)
- HIGH WIND - measured or estimated at 40 mph or more
- HEAVY RAIN - one-half inch (0.50) or more in one hour
- FLOODING - any kind
- DAMAGE and/or DEATHS and/or INJURIES due to the weather
- HAIL - any size
- VISIBILITY - less than 1/4 mile for any reason
- HEAVY SNOW - accumulation of one inch or more per hour
- FREEZING RAIN
- Tell Us briefly:
- What you have seen (tornado, heavy rain, etc.)
- Where you saw it (direction/distance from known position to the storm)
- When you saw it (time of observation)
- What it was doing (movement/destructiveness, etc.)
- Give your name and location each time you report, and please report only the above significant
weather events. Do not call with routine events.
HAIL SIZE ESTIMATES | INCHES |
Pea Size | 1/4 |
Penny | 3/4 |
Nickel | 7/8 |
Quarter | 1 |
Ping Pong / Walnut | 1 1/2 |
Golf Ball | 1 3/4 |
Hen Egg | 2 |
Tennis Ball | 2 1/2 |
Baseball | 2 3/4 |
Grapefruit | 4 |
Softball | 4 1/2 |
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WIND SPEED ESTIMATES |
DESCRIPTION |
25-31 mph | Large branches in motion; Whistling in telephone wires |
32-38 mph | Whole trees in motion; Inconvenience felt walking against wind |
39-54 mph | Twigs break off trees; Wind impedes walking |
55-72 mph | Damage to chimneys and TV antennas; Shallow rooted trees pushed over |
73-112 mph | Surface peeled off roofs; Windows broken; Trailer houses overturned; Moving cars pushed off roads |
113+ mph | Roofs torn off houses; Weak buildings and trailer houses destroyed; Large trees snapped and uprooted |
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Webmaster
US Dept of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Weather Service
Missoula Weather Forecast Office
6633 Aviation Way
Missoula, MT 59808-9381
Tel: (406) 329-4840
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