More Hail Falls In Mountains Than Valleys

Sun., Aug. 13, 2000

Here are some cold hard facts about hail as gleaned from “Reading Weather,” by Jim Woodmencey (Falcon Publishing, $6.95)

Hail forms inside a thunderstorm with very strong updrafts and downdrafts.

As water droplets freeze and move up and down through the freezing level (where the temperature is 32 degrees F) several times, each time they are coated with successive layers of ice.

Updrafts must be strong enough to support the weight of the forming hailstones.

Other hail facts: More hail falls in the mountains than in valleys because it often melts before it reaches the lower elevations where the atmosphere is warmer.

The darker the base of the thunderstorm, the more likely it is to produce hail, a heavy downpour, or gusty winds.

The updraft speed required to support 0.75-inch-diameter hail is 37 mph. To support baseball-sized hail, updraft speeds must be about 100 mph.

Baseball-sized hail falls out of a cloud at a speed of about 100 mph, hitting the ground with the force of a major league fastball!

Hail falls out of only a small part of the whole thunderstorm, typically in a swath that measures 0.5 to 1 mile wide and 5 to 10 miles long.

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