Scatterometer radar backscatter depends on the relationship linking surface stress and surface roughness. SST can alter the growth rate of centimeter-scale waves through its impact on air and water density and water viscosity. This SST-dependency has not been included in the standard Geophysical Model Functions. This study uses a radar imaging model to evaluate this SST-dependence and compares the results to observations from QuikScat Ku-band and ASCAT C-band scatterometers. A SST correction could raise wind speeds by up to 0.2 ms(-1) in the storm track region of the Southern Ocean for C-band scatterometers. For the higher frequency Ku-band scatterometers, a SST-induced reduction up to 0.4 ms(-1) is predicted south of 60(-S), where SST is cold and winds are moderate. Citation: Grodsky, S. A., V. N. Kudryavtsev, A. Bentamy, J. A. Carton, and B. Chapron (2012), Does direct impact of SST on short wind waves matter for scatterometry?, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L12602, doi: 10.1029/2012GL052091.