❓ why
Why do some thunderstorms produce hail instead of only rain?
WeatherStorms
Quick Answer
Hail forms when powerful updrafts in thunderstorms keep raindrops aloft long enough to freeze and grow in layers of ice. When the stones become too heavy for the updraft, they fall.
The Full Story
Hail needs strong vertical winds, which is why it is usually linked to severe thunderstorms. Supercooled water droplets freeze onto a tiny ice particle, and repeated trips through the storm add layers, like an onion of ice. In big storms, hailstones can grow large enough to reach several centimetres across before gravity wins. The largest confirmed hailstone in the United States weighed about 879 grams and fell in Vivian, South Dakota, in 2010.
Key Facts
1.Supercell thunderstorms are especially likely to produce large hail
2.The largest confirmed U.S. hailstone weighed about 879 g in 2010
3.Hail can form within minutes in intense storms
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"How does a raindrop become an ice boulder in the sky?"