Hailstorm

About Hail

Hail is precipitation in the form of balls or clumps of ice, produced by thunderstorms. Most incidents for which records exist involve hail 3/4 inch diameter or more. It is formed when strong updrafts within the cumulonimbus cloud carry water droplets above the freezing level or when ice pellets in the cloud collide with water droplets. The water droplets freeze or attach themselves to the ice pellets and begin to freeze as strong updraft winds toss the pellets and droplets back up into colder regions of the cloud. 

Both gravity and downdrafts in the cloud pull the pellets down, where they encounter more droplets that attach and freeze as the pellets are tossed once again to higher levels in the cloud. This process continues until the hailstones become too heavy to be supported by the updrafts and fall to the ground as hail.

Most hail in Minnesota ranges in size from pea-size to golf-ball size. Larger hailstones have been reported but occur much less frequently. Strong updrafts are necessary within the cloud to form hail. Strong updrafts are usually associated with severe thunderstorms. Area coverage of individual hailstorms is highly variable and spotty because of the changing nature of the cumulonimbus cloud. While, almost all areas of southern Minnesota can expect some hail during the summer months most hail is not large enough to cause significant crop or property damage.