How do hailstones get so large, and are hailstorms getting worse?
As an atmospheric scientist, I study and teach about extreme weather and its risks. Here’s how hail forms, how hailstorms may be changing, and some tips for staying safe.
How does hail get so big?
Hail begins as tiny crystals of ice that are swept into a thunderstorm’s updraft. As these ice embryos collide with supercooled water – liquid water that has a temperature below freezing – the water freezes around each embryo, causing the embryo to grow.
How do hailstones get so large, and are hailstorms getting worse?
As an atmospheric scientist, I study and teach about extreme weather and its risks. Here’s how hail forms, how hailstorms may be changing, and some tips for staying safe.
How does hail get so big?
Hail begins as tiny crystals of ice that are swept into a thunderstorm’s updraft. As these ice embryos collide with supercooled water – liquid water that has a temperature below freezing – the water freezes around each embryo, causing the embryo to grow.
A hailstone cut in half, which reveals layers of clear and cloudy ice formed as the hailstone journeyed through different parts of a thunderstorm cloud.ERZ via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY
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