What Causes Hail

Last Updated on August 6, 2021 by

One of the most unusual weather conditions we can experience is a hail- storm. It is quite a thing to and hears hailstones coming down, some- times with such force that great damage is done. Animals, and even men, have been killed by hail!

What Causes Hail

A hailstorm usually occurs during the warm weather and is accompanied in many cases by thunder, lightning, and rain. Hail is formed when raindrops freeze while passing through a belt of cold air on their way to earth.

Single raindrops form very small hailstones. But an interesting thing can happen to such a raindrop. As it falls as a hailstone, it may meet a strong rising current of air. So it is carried up again to the level where raindrops are falling. New drops begin to cling to the hailstone. And as it falls once more through the cold belt, these new drops spread into a layer around it and freeze, and now we have larger hailstones.

This rising and falling of the hailstone may be repeated time after time until it has added so many layers that its weight is heavy enough to overcome the force of the rising current of air. Now it falls to the ground. In this way hailstones measuring 8 to 10 centimeters in diameter and weighing as much as 450 grams are sometimes built up.

Snow, too, freezes around hailstones when they are carried into regions where it is forming. So the hailstones are frequently made up of layers of ice and snowfalls sometimes. Frozen is sometimes called hail, but it is really “sleet”! And soft hail which in winter is only a form of snow.

What Is The Biggest Hail Ever?

The record for the largest hailstone in the US belongs to an 8-inch wonder that fell near Vivian, South Dakota

Can hail kill you?

Hail can kill you? As you can imagine, this question has been asked countless times, and the answer is a big yes. Not only can a hailstone kill you, but it can also kill your car, your pet, and ruin your patio.

Is it OK to eat hail?

“Is it OK to eat hail?” is a question that is rather frequently asked. Well, hail is a type of snow that has been blown in a particular direction. This causes the hail to have a few distinctive characteristics: this is why it is important that you ask this question. As you might know, eating hail is not a good idea. This is because it is not only hard to digest but also has a very strong odor. Well, the only time you can eat hail is if you are in an area that gets a lot of hail.

What state has the most hail storms?


Texas

What was the worst hail storm in history?

The worst hail storm in history? The answer is: hard to say. First, take the size of the hail. (The average hailstone can range between 1 to 6 millimeters, depending on the situation.) The worst hail storm on record has an estimated height of seven feet, and it hit the state of Kansas in 1951. That’s a very respectable number of millimeters. But it’s way less than the average size of hailstones, which is ten to twenty millimeters. So, while the hail was impressive, its relative size isn’t.

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