Sourced from archived surface observation data

Data Sources & Methodology

Web reports combine Visual Crossing weather values with available regional storm records. Source scope and missing fields matter when interpreting a report.

Built by a Meteorologist

StormRecord was designed and built by a degreed meteorologist with professional experience in data analysis and operations. Every data source, severity threshold, and classification rule in StormRecord reflects predefined meteorological criteria applied consistently across all reports.

Data Sources

Weather Data Sources

The web search requests weather by latitude, longitude, and date. It does not request an exclusive station record.

Hourly Weather Observations

Visual Crossing location-based compilation

Daily and hourly values from NOAA and other networks are compiled by the Visual Crossing Timeline API for the requested location. Its compilation can combine observations from multiple stations and other provider sources.

A context station is chosen from the stations returned by the provider, preferring nearby airport identifiers. This is a reference point, not proof that every value was measured at that station or at the property.

Visual Crossing source documentation →
Regional Storm Documentation

Storm reports for the surrounding area

Available regional records are displayed with the source returned for the selected date. They may include NCEI Storm Events or preliminary local storm reports. Event names, times, locations, and narratives describe the reported area, which may extend beyond the searched property.

Coverage and publication timing vary by archive. The free preview shows the records available for your search before purchase.

NCEI Storm Events →

How It Works

How a Report is Created

Address suggestions are selected in the browser. The server retrieves and saves the weather snapshot used for the preview and checkout.

1

Geocode the property address

The address is resolved to geographic coordinates using Google's geocoding service, determining the exact location for all weather lookups.

2

Identify available source context

Station metadata returned by Visual Crossing provides nearby context. Choosing a station label does not change the underlying location-based data retrieval.

3

Retrieve hourly observations

Available hourly records are retained with their local times, provider source labels, and timestamps where provided. Missing values remain unavailable. Coverage is not assumed to be 24 complete rows, particularly around daylight-saving changes.

4

Apply severity classification

Observations are evaluated against fixed severity thresholds. These are predefined, consistent across all reports, and not adjustable by any party.

5

Retrieve available regional storm records

Regional event records are requested for the coordinates and local date. The preview identifies the returned source and surrounding area. Available provider alerts are retained separately.

6

Generate the PDF report

All data is compiled into a structured, multi-page PDF with severity classification, hourly log, charts, storm events, and full source attribution.

Classification

Severity Classification Thresholds

Four fixed severity levels based on observed surface conditions. These thresholds are identical for every report and cannot be adjusted.

Level Criteria
Severe Wind gusts exceeding 58 mph, precipitation exceeding 2 inches, or severe convective indicators (tornado, large hail, severe thunderstorm warning)
Moderate Wind gusts between 40–58 mph, precipitation between 1–2 inches, or strong thunderstorms indicated by NWS warnings
Measurable Wind gusts between 25–40 mph, precipitation between 0.5–1 inch, or light storm activity
Baseline Wind gusts below 25 mph, precipitation below 0.5 inch, clear or partly cloudy conditions

The 58 mph severe wind threshold aligns with the National Weather Service's definition of damaging wind gusts used for severe thunderstorm warnings. The precipitation thresholds are StormRecord classification rules, not property-damage or insurance-coverage thresholds.

Severity classifications are informational and reflect observed meteorological conditions. They do not establish causation, or determine the applicability of any insurance policy, legal claim, or contractual provision.

Standards

Data Integrity Standards

StormRecord is designed to produce structured weather documentation that is reproducible and transparent.

No user modification

Users enter an address and a date. There is no mechanism to edit, filter, adjust, or override any weather observation, alert record, or storm event in the report.

Station transparency

The preview identifies a context station when metadata is available. The location-based retrieval mode does not establish a single-station measurement source.

Preserved source values

StormRecord preserves returned values and missing fields in the weather snapshot. Visual Crossing may combine or process upstream data. Display rounding is for readability and does not change stored values.

Consistent thresholds

Severity thresholds are hardcoded and identical for every report regardless of location, season, or claim type. Each purchase retains its weather snapshot. A new search may reflect corrections or later archive updates.

Timestamped & identified

Every report includes a generation timestamp and unique identifier, creating a timestamped record of when it was produced and from which data snapshot.

Time Standardization

Hourly weather uses the provider's local time zone. Dated timestamps preserve their chronological order through daylight-saving changes. Regional timestamps without a stated time-zone offset are identified as source time.

Data Coverage

Geographic coverage

The web search accepts U.S. addresses. Available weather values, nearby station context, and regional event records vary by location and date.

Temporal coverage

Searches cover yesterday through the past 3 years. Daily weather, hourly observations, regional events, and alerts have different coverage. Missing records are left unavailable; a missing alert record cannot establish whether a warning was issued.

Intended Use

A StormRecord report provides an objective, timestamped record of meteorological conditions at a specific location on a specific date. It may be used as documentation where recorded weather conditions are relevant, including insurance, legal, travel, and construction-related matters.

StormRecord reports document factual weather conditions. They do not assess property damage, determine insurance coverage or liability, establish legal causation, evaluate policy applicability, or render professional opinions on weather-related disputes. StormRecord is not a forensic meteorology firm and does not provide expert witness testimony or site-specific analysis.

Web reports compile location-based weather values from Visual Crossing, drawing on NOAA and other networks, alongside available regional storm records. They are automated compilations rather than certified government records or individual expert reviews.

For cases requiring expert testimony, site-specific damage or causation analysis, or radar interpretation consult a Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM).

Questions?

If you have questions about our methodology, data sources, or how StormRecord reports can support your documentation workflow, contact us at support@stormrecord.com.

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Preview the available weather records, then get the complete PDF for $9.99.

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