What is the difference between severe weather and a thunderstorm?

Question

help please

Answer 1

The National Weather Service defines a severe thunderstorm as a storm that produces winds in excess of 58 mph and/or hail equal or greater than 3/4 of an inch in diameter.

Tornados, high winds, extreme heat and extreme cold and flooding are also types of severe weather.

Winter Weather can be severe also if certain critera are met, and that critera varies from location to location across the country.

A general thunderstorm is a thunderstorm that does not produce any of the above type of weather, and is not condsidered severe.

Answer 2

There really is no definition of severe weather. The best description of that is straight from the dictionary which says,

"Weather causing discomfort or distress by extreme character or conditions, such as, cold, or heat; unpleasantly violent, as rain, wind or hail. "

The definition of severe weather by the NWS is the 58 mph or 3/4 inch hail or larger as wxman22 stated but he left off the "and/or produces a tornado."

BUT, there are some NWS offices in the country (Kansas if I remember right) that experimentally are using one inch hail criteria right now with some debate that the rest of the country may follow in the future.

Basically, if you think the weather is bad enough to cause damage or hardship (human or animal) you can call it severe weather.

A thunderstorm is nothing more than a storm that produces lightning and thunder.
It may or may not even produce rain.

Just be careful of the term Severe Thunderstorm, since it does have the rigid definition of wind and/or hail, or tornado.

So if you get drowned by rain from a thunderstorm or killed by the lightning, you can call it severe weather, but unless it met the wind/hail or tornado criteria, you can not call it a severe thunderstorm.

Ain't that clear as mud?

Answer 3

The national climate service has replaced the definition of a severe thunderstorm at the instant. They now outline it as a hurricane that produces hail one inch in diameter or larger and/or winds of 50 8 MPH or greater advantageous. an common thunderstorm is one that produces smaller or no hail and lessor winds.

Answer 4

Thunder storms involve rising thunderheads, possible hail, heavy rain. Sometimes involve winds, don't have to.
Severe weather involves strong winds, perhaps driving rain, may be caused by hurricane remnants, outflow boundries and may involve tornados and thunderstorms but not necessarily the latter.

Answer 5

Severe weather can describe heat waves, tropical cyclones, tornadoes, blizzards, thunderstorms etc.. They all make at risk for you life or property damage.

Answer 6

If you want to learn a lot about weather, especially severe, go here. You can learn anything you need to from these guys.

Answer 7

terminology. severe weather is a broad term, thunderstorm a specific one.

Answer 8

A thunder storm is sever weather what else do you need ? let me know