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The Conversation
The Conversation
Environment
Brian Tang, Associate Professor of Atmospheric Science, University at Albany, State University of New York

Hail the size of golf balls and even grapefruit? The science of how tiny ice crystals grow dangerously large

United States Golf Brian Tang Climate Change Johnson City Kansas Nebraska NOAA South Dakota Texas
Getting hit by solid ice the size of a baseball would hurt. Gregory Dubus/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Hail the size of grapefruit shattered car windows in Johnson City, Texas. In June, 2024, a storm chaser found a hailstone almost as big as a pineapple. Even larger hailstones have been documented in South Dakota, Kansas and Nebraska. Hail has damaged airplanes and even crashed through the roofs of houses.

How do hailstones get so large, and are hailstorms getting worse?

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