TEMPLE, Texas — Many people in the Valley Mills, China spring and Waco areas were in for a weather surprise when large hailstones, some the size of baseballs, fell during severe weather Wednesday evening.
It was so surprising to many that "Waco" started trending on Twitter shortly after the hailstones fell.
But when's the last time you experienced hail that large? How does it get that large? First, we must understand what hail is and how it forms.
What is hail?
Hailstones, or hail, is a frozen form of precipitation that happen inside of thunderstorm updrafts, according to NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory.
In other words, hail forms when thunderstorms carry raindrops upward into parts of our atmosphere where it's extremely cold, causing the raindrops to freeze into hailstones, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Hailstones then grow when liquid water drops collide into it during the updraft then freeze onto the hailstone's surface, NOAA said.
It comes crashing into the ground when the hailstone becomes too heavy or when the updraft weakens, NOAA continued.
Just how big can hail get?
Read more: Baseball-sized hail falls on Central Texas
Fun fact: Per NWS, the largest-sized hailstone recorded in the United States measured about 8 inches in diameter, or 18.625 inches in circumference, and weighed around 1.9 lbs.! This hailstone fell on July 23, 2010 in Vivian, South Dakota.
Common sizes of hail
- Pea = 1/4 inch diameter
- Mothball = 1/2 inch diameter
- Penny = 3/4 inch diameter
- Nickel = 7/8 inch
- Quarter = 1 inch — hail quarter size or larger is considered severe
- Ping-Pong Ball = 1 1/2 inch
- Golf Ball = 1 3/4 inches
- Tennis Ball = 2 1/2 inches
- Baseball = 2 3/4 inches
- Tea cup = 3 inches
- Softball = 4 inches
- Grapefruit = 4 1/2 inches
What should you do when it hails?
Hail can create a lot of damage, depending on the size of the stone. Hailstones could damage homes or cars, and can even be deadly.
Below is a photo of a China Spring resident's car, which was damaged during Wednesday's storms.
Remember to be weather aware if the 6 News weather team tells you there may be hail with severe storms. Be sure to also make sure you are protecting your people, pets and property by making sure everyone is inside and that your vehicles are parked under coverings.
If you can safely take pictures of the hail, be sure to send them into 6 News using the "Near Me" feature of our KCEN 6 News app! Or, text your photos/video to 254-777-6000 and be sure to include the location and your name.