Surprising Hail Facts
• Hail storms occur in all 50 US states each year, but are most prevalent in states east of the Rocky Mountains.
• 65% of hail falls outside the typical 8-5 work week while managers are off work.
• Hail forms as a result of strong updrafts inside supercell storms. These updrafts repeatedly lift hail stones up through layers of super cooled moisture which freezes on the stones, causing them to grow.
• The largest hail stone recorded to date fell in Vivian, SD, on July 30, 2010. It measured 8″ in diameter, 18.5″ in circumference and weighed almost 2 pounds. Hail stones of this size are extremely rare.
