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- During a storm, rain drops can be picked up by a warm updraft forcing the droplets of water higher in the clouds into freezing temperatures where they freeze. The frozen droplets will soon begin to fall and as they do they will start to thaw.
- As it falls it is possible for it to be picked up again by the updraf and thrown back into freezing temperatures where it will re-freeze. This can happen many times and as it does the droplet adds another layer of ice making the size larger each time.
- The droplet, now considered hail because of it's many layers of ice will become too heavy to be picked up anymore by the updraft and it will fall to the ground.
Did you know?
The updraft speed can determine the size of hail that will be produced. The stronger the winds are, there is a better chance that the frozen drop is sent back up into freezing temperatures where it will increase in size.
| BB Pellet Sized Hail = <39 km/h | Pea Sized Hail = 39 km/h |
| Dime Sized Hail = 61 km/h | Quarter Sized Hail = 79 km/h |
| Walnut Sized Hail = 97 km/h | Golf Ball Sized Hail = 103 km/h |
| Baseball Sized Hail = 120 km/h | Grapefruit Sized Hail = 158 km/h |
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