National Weather Service Hail Reports for 20119,417 reports. (67% increase over the 2004-2010 average.)
It probably comes as no surprise to anybody in the hail damage industry, but 2011 was a banner hail year. What’s really impressive, however, is to see just how big a deal it was.
According to annual hail data reported by HailReporter.com, the average number of hail reports for the 7 years prior to 2011 was 5,609. The total number of hail reports for 2011, however, was approximately 9,417, which number represents an increase of 67% over the 2004-2010 average!
With such a huge spike in hail activity in 2011, it naturally raises the question of what we should expect to see in 2012. Long-range weather prediction, however, still eludes the grasp of reliable science, generally speaking. For those who’d like to take a look at the 2012 forecasts of the Old Farmer’s Almanac, you’ll find them here.
