Mesoanalysis of a Severe South Florida Hailstorm

Abstract

The occurrence of large surface hail is extremely rare in low latitudes. In an effort to explain this deficiency, this paper presents a mesoscale analysis of an isolated case of large hail over Miami, Florida, in March 1963. For this analysis, a dense network of hail size and frequency sensors was conveniently provided by the hall-punctured overhead portions of the many screened patio and swimming pool enclosures which are part of the Miami environment. A study of this damage pattern along with considerable mesosynoptic data on pressure, rainfall and wind revealed intimate details of the storm's behavior and showed that it displayed many of the features generally associated with Midwest tornadic hailstorms.