Several cities took a beating from hail on Monday afternoon as severe thunderstorms rolled through the area.
We closely tracked those storms in places like Brenham, Sienna, Bay City, and Houston. A big thank you to everyone who shared photos through Click2Pins; your images helped confirm exactly what we were seeing on Storm Tracker 2 Radar.
How hail forms:
More hail could be on the way today. As a warm front lifts north, Gulf moisture is surging in, setting the stage for another round of strong thunderstorms. There’s also enough wind shear in the atmosphere to support powerful updrafts.
Here’s how hail forms: Rain is pulled into those cold upper levels of the atmosphere by a strong updraft and begins to freeze. If the updraft is intense enough, it can send the ice pellet back up multiple times, allowing it to grow larger with each pass.
I’ve put together a video to show you what this process would look like if we could see all the layers of the atmosphere in action.
Tuesday’s forecast:
It’s not just that hail is possible; Tuesday’s storms could once again bring severe hail. To be considered severe, hail must be at least 3/4 of an inch in diameter, that is about the size of a quarter. But we could see stones as large as ping pong balls or even golf balls.
Here’s a breakdown of what we track on our Storm Tracker 2 Radar and the kind of damage each size can cause:
- Quarter (1″) – Meets the severe threshold; can dent cars and damage plants.
- Ping Pong Ball (1.5″) – Can crack windshields and cause roof damage.
- Golf Ball (1.75″) – Strong enough to break windows and seriously damage siding and shingles.
Here’s the chart we use to track these sizes in real time.
This was one of my favorite videos sent to Click2Pins on Monday, hail falling at 100 miles per hour and crashing down into a backyard pool in Missouri City! Just incredible to watch.
More Hail Expected?
The shaded areas highlights where hail is most likely today. These hatched areas are rare; we usually only see them during the spring.
Here’s why: In spring, warm, humid air from the Gulf moves in at the surface, while the upper atmosphere is still cold. That contrast fuels strong updrafts capable of producing large hail. In the summer, the upper levels are typically too warm to support big hail. And in winter, the lower levels are too cool to generate the kind of violent updrafts needed.
If you’re wondering, the world record for hail size was set in the United States. It was in Vivian, South Dakota July 23, 2010. It was 8” inches wide, 18.5” around, and as big as a soccer ball!
If possible, park your car in a covered parking space and track the storms with our Storm Tracker 2 App. And please remember if you get a great picture or video of the storms, please send it to out Click2Pins.
Be safe today.
