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National Weather Service Storm Warning Change Coming
The National Weather Service wants you to be ready in the event of severe weather, and a change is on the way.

NWS officials claim that research shows a modificiation in storm predictions can have more of an impact on communities when threatening weather approaches. Beginning April 1st, the weather service will only issue Severe Thunderstorm Warnings when hail stones roughly the size of quarters -- about one-inch in diameter -- are predicted to occur within the storm. The current thunderstorm warning is activated when conditions are right for hail measuring 3-quarters of an inch in diameter -- or, penny-size.

Meteorologist James Auten with the National Weather Service in Lincoln tells the NWS puts out so many warnings now that the public might not be taking potentially severe weather situations as serious as they should.

"We (National Weather Service) put out a lot of severe thunderstorm warnings. Well, the public's gotten to the point where they don't heed them very much...and they just get a little bit of hail, maybe three-quarter inch hail, there's not a lot of damage...and they're (warnings) more of a nuisance."

Auten says with fewer warnings, the public will be made aware of the seriousness of the storms when the warnings are issued.
03 09 09 by Newsroom
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