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Natural Phenomena

Hailstorm

Severe Weather and Storms

A thunderstorm that produces hail, balls or irregular lumps of ice that grow as they are carried repeatedly through a storm's freezing upper layers by strong updrafts before finally falling. Hailstones range from pea-sized to, in extreme cases, larger than a softball, and the largest hailstorms cause billions of dollars in crop, vehicle and property damage each year. Hail is most frequent where strong, persistent updrafts meet abundant atmospheric moisture, such as the American Great Plains.

Facts
Periodicity
In North America's 'Hail Alley', where Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming meet, hail occurs mainly from March through October, with most occurrences from May through September during afternoon and evening hours; some Mediterranean countries see their maximum hail frequency in fall. 1
Scale
Hailstones usually measure between 5 millimeters and 15 centimeters in diameter; the METAR code GR marks hail of 5 mm or more, while smaller hail and graupel are coded GS. 1
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
Solid precipitation falling as balls or irregular lumps of ice called hailstones, produced by cumulonimbus clouds and distinct from the smaller, translucent ice pellets of sleet. 1
Connections

Demonstrated By

Grassland, Biomes
Source National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Sources
1. Hail (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Wikipedia 'Hail', Geographic distribution section
    Hail in this region occurs between the months of March and October during the afternoon and evening hours, with the bulk of the occurrences from May through September.
  • Wikipedia 'Hail', lead section
    It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailstone.
  • Wikipedia 'Hail', lead section (scale sentence)
    hailstones usually measure between 5 mm (0.2 in) and 15 cm (6 in) in diameter. The METAR reporting code for hail 5 mm (0.20 in) or greater is GR
  • Wikipedia 'Hail', lead section (distinguishing-appearance sentence)
    It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailstone.
View the Source
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationDemonstrated By: GrasslandView the Source
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