An Hourly Climatology of MRMS MESH-Diagnosed Severe Hail

The multi-radar/multi-sensor (MRMS) system generates an operational suite of derived products in the National Weather Service useful for real-time monitoring of severe convective weather. One such product generated by the MRMS is the maximum estimated size of hail (MESH) that estimates hail size based on the radar reflectivity properties of a storm above the freezing level. The MRMS MESH product is commonly used across the NWS, including the Storm Prediction Center, to diagnose the expected hail size in convective storms. Previous work has explored the relationship between the MRMS MESH product and severe hail (≥ 1 in.) observed at the ground and with severe hail reports. This work will provide an hourly climatology of severe MRMS MESH across the CONUS. Differences between severe hail reports and potential applications in operational forecasting will be explored.