Hail is a fascinating and often destructive weather event characterized by balls of ice that form within powerful thunderstorms. Hailstones can vary greatly in size, even more dramatically than snowflakes. It can be as small as a pea or larger than a baseball and may cause significant damage to crops, vehicles, and buildings. Hailstorms are most common in the spring and summer, especially in regions like the Great Plains. Understanding how hail forms and its impact helps communities prepare for and respond to these icy storms. With these facts, we’ll find out how large the largest recorded hailstone was, as well as other facts about this icy phenomenon and its effects on us.
9 Hail Facts
1. Hailstones form when raindrops carried by thunderstorm updrafts hit extremely cold areas of the atmosphere and freeze. (Source)
Hailstones might have different layers of clear and cloudy ice if the stone encounters different temperatures while it forms.
2. The largest hailstone recorded was 8 inches in diameter. (Source)
It formed in Vivian, South Dakota, on July 23, 2010. The hail weighed nearly two pounds!
3. Texas has the highest average number of American hailstone events. (Source)
The Lone Star State has an average of 1,366 hail events per year. This hail can cause massive damage to cars and homes.
4. Dangerous events are five times more likely to occur than tornadoes. (Source)
Tornadoes are dramatic events that dominate weather news headlines, but in reality, dangerous hailstorms are far more likely to affect Americans. There are about 5,000 reports of large hail per year compared to 1,000 tornado reports.
5. The National Weather Service categorizes hail by comparing its size to household objects. (Source)
Common small sizes include pea, small marble, penny, nickel, and ping-pong ball. The most dangerous hail has been compared to softballs, grapefruits, large apples, and even a DVD.
6. One of the most destructive hailstorms caused around $2.8 billion in damage. (Source)
This storm occurred near Phoenix, Arizona, in October 2010. It produced three-inch hail.
7. Like “Tornado Alley”, America has a “Hail Alley” with 7 to 9 hail events per year. (Source)
The region consists of parts of Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming, where mountain ranges create ideal conditions for hail.
8. Large hailstones can fall up to speeds of 100 mph. (Source)
The larger the hailstone, the faster it falls. These extreme speeds prove the danger of hail. Always take shelter during a hailstorm, as heavy hail falling at high speeds can cause injury.
9. If you cut a hailstone in half, you’ll find rings like an onion. (Source)
These rings show us the two processes that build up a hailstone to its final size. The wet growth stage shows clear layers, while the dry growth stage shows milky-white layers. The number of rings in a hailstone shows the number of times it tumbled through the formation process in the thundercloud.
Featured image photo credit: Kristina Kutleša
