Weather Data for a Roof Claim: What Adjusters Check
By StormAuditor Editorial Team · Published 2026-10-06 · Updated 2026-10-07
Based on public NOAA and National Weather Service records, published under StormAuditor's methodology and data-source standards. Radar-derived hail sizes are estimates unless attributed to a ground report.
Damage-threshold ranges in this article are general guidance synthesized from industry and federal research — IBHS building-performance research, NWS severe criteria, and product standards such as UL 2218 (hail impact resistance) and ASTM D3161/D7158 (shingle wind ratings). Actual performance depends on product rating, age, installation quality, exposure, and impact characteristics — thresholds describe when damage becomes possible, not when it occurs.
Adjusters reviewing weather data for a roof claim check whether a storm reached the address on the reported date, how far the nearest measuring instrument was, when the peak gust happened, whether radar hail matches ground reports, and when warnings were in effect. A claim file that answers those questions up front is easier to review.
Adjusters, appraisers, and the weather consultants they hire read the weather section of a roof claim with a short list of questions. Did a storm reach this address on the reported date? How close was the nearest instrument? When did the peak gust happen? Does the radar hail match the ground reports? When were warnings in effect? This guide walks through each one, so a claim file can answer them before they are asked.
It is written for homeowners, contractors, and public adjusters preparing a claim, and for field and desk adjusters reviewing one.
1. Does the date of loss match a storm in the record?
The first check is simple: does the public record show hail or wind at or near the address on the reported date? A reported date with no storm in the record is the most common reason a claim gets a second look.
- A date of loss is the date the damage is reported to have happened. The Date of Loss Weather Research page covers how to find candidate dates.
- The Free Report Snapshot answers YES or NO for an estimated gust of 45 mph or more, or hail of 0.75 in. or larger, at the address. Those are StormAuditor screening thresholds, set below the NWS severe criteria of 58 mph and 1 inch.
- A Weather Report lists every date in the last two years with an estimated gust of 40 mph or more or hail of 0.50 in. or larger, so the reported date can be seen next to every other storm date.
If the reported date is not in the list but a nearby date is, the date may simply be off by a day. Storms that cross midnight, or that are logged in UTC, often show up on the next calendar date.
2. How far was the nearest instrument?
A measured gust is strong evidence for the place where it was measured. Its weight for a property falls off with distance. Reviewers ask:
- Which station measured the gust, and how far it is from the property. Airport ASOS and AWOS stations can be several miles away, or much farther in rural areas.
- What lies between them. Hills, open water, and forests change wind over short distances.
- Whether the station was working. Stations can miss readings during storms, and a missing hour can hide the peak.
StormAuditor's Audit Report lists each instrument used for a date's estimate with its distance from the property, its reading, its weight in the calculation, and any rejected readings with the reason. That table answers the distance question directly.
3. When did the peak gust happen?
Timing ties the weather to the damage. A peak gust at 3:40 p.m. supports a report of damage during an afternoon storm; a peak at 2 a.m. the next day may belong to a different event.
- ASOS stations log a peak wind remark (PK WND) giving the highest 5-second average wind above 25 knots since the last hourly report, with the time it occurred, per the NWS ASOS User's Guide.
- METAR observation times are in UTC. Convert to local time before comparing with a homeowner's account.
- StormAuditor shows station peak-gust times on the Storm Map and in the Audit Report, in the station's own time zone, when the time belongs to that exact reading.
Write the local time of the strongest wind in the claim file next to the time the homeowner noticed the damage.
4. Does radar hail match the ground reports?
Hail claims rest on two kinds of evidence, and reviewers compare them:
- Radar estimates. NOAA MRMS MESH (Maximum Estimated Size of Hail) estimates the largest hail at the ground on a roughly 1-km grid, calibrated against ground reports. It covers every address but is an estimate. See the MESH explainer.
- Ground reports. Spotter, public, and NWS reports give a size at a point and a time. They are direct observations but depend on where people were.
Questions reviewers ask: Was the radar swath over the property or some distance away? Did ground reports nearby show a similar size? Is the size in the range that damages the roofing on this house? The Audit Report for a date shows the radar hail size at the property and the largest within 1, 3, and 10 miles, which keeps "1.25 in. over the property" separate from "1.25 in. two miles away".
5. Measured or estimated reports?
Not every storm report carries the same weight. NWS Local Storm Reports and the NCEI Storm Events Database mark wind values as measured (by an instrument) or estimated (by an observer), and hail sizes come from observers measuring or comparing to common objects.
- A measured gust from a nearby instrument carries more weight than an estimated gust from a spotter.
- A damage report without a speed, such as "trees down", shows that wind was strong enough to do damage, not how strong it was.
- SPC Storm Reports are preliminary. The official Storm Events Database is finalized later and can differ.
StormAuditor uses only measured-qualifier storm reports as wind values in its estimates. The Local Storm Reports article explains the report types.
6. When were warnings in effect?
A severe thunderstorm or tornado warning shows that forecasters expected dangerous weather in an area for a window of time. Reviewers check:
- Was the property inside the warning area? Warnings are drawn as polygons around the threat, not whole counties.
- Did the timing match? A warning that expired an hour before the reported damage time is weaker support than one in effect at the time.
- What hazards did the warning list? The text names the expected hail size and wind speed. The NWS issues severe thunderstorm warnings for hail of 1 inch or larger and/or winds of 58 mph or more (NWS).
A warning shows what was expected in an area, not what happened at each address. It supports the other evidence; it does not replace it.
7. Do the sources agree with each other and with the damage?
The strongest weather sections show several independent sources pointing the same way: an estimated peak gust or hail size at the address, a measured gust or ground report nearby, a warning in effect at the right time, and a damage pattern on the roof that fits the hazard. Reviewers notice when one source disagrees, so it is better to address that in the file than to leave it out.
How to put the weather section of a claim file together
- The date list: every storm date at the address from a Weather Report, with the claimed date highlighted.
- The claimed date in detail: an Audit Report with instruments, distances, peak-gust times, rejected readings, and the radar hail field over the property.
- Warnings and reports: warnings in effect, and Local Storm Reports nearby with times and distances, from the Storm Map.
- The damage: dated photos and the inspection notes, so the hazard and the pattern can be compared.
- A short summary in plain language: the date, the estimated values at the address, and the nearest measured evidence.
Professional users can see how StormAuditor fits field and desk work on Weather Reports for Insurance Adjusters.
Limitations
Every StormAuditor value is an estimate at the property coordinates from public NOAA and NWS data, not an on-site measurement. Address-level estimates cover the last two years. Whether the weather damaged a specific roof is decided by inspection, and coverage is decided by the insurer. See Limitations.
Frequently asked questions
What weather data do adjusters use for a roof claim?
Common sources are radar hail estimates (NOAA MRMS MESH), measured station gusts from ASOS and AWOS, NWS warnings, Local Storm Reports, and NCEI Storm Events, often through a weather report for the address and date of loss.
Why does the distance to the weather station matter?
A measured gust describes the wind where the instrument sits. The farther the property is, and the more terrain in between, the less directly that reading describes the wind at the property.
Why does the time of the peak gust matter?
It shows whether the strongest wind matches the time damage was reported. ASOS stations log the time of their peak wind, so the peak can be placed within a storm rather than just on a date.
What if radar shows hail but there are no ground reports?
Ground reports depend on people being there to report, so a radar estimate with no report nearby is common in rural areas and at night. Reviewers then weigh the radar size, the distance to the swath, warnings, and the damage pattern.
Does a severe thunderstorm warning mean my house had damaging weather?
No. A warning means forecasters expected severe weather in the warned area during that time. It supports other evidence about the date but does not show what happened at a specific address.
What is in a StormAuditor Audit Report?
It shows the evidence behind one date's estimate at an address: a satellite map with distance rings, the instruments used with distances and readings, peak-gust times where recorded, rejected readings, the arithmetic, and the radar hail field over the property.
Start with the Free Report Snapshot for any address, then document the claimed date with an Audit Report.