Hail

hailHail is a form of precipitation which consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice. It forms on condensation nuclei such as dust, insects, or ice crystals, when super-cooled water freezes on contact.

Once a hailstone is too heavy to be supported by the storm's updraft, it falls out of the cloud. These hailstones can range from pea-sized to softball-sized clusters of ice, with large stones falling at speeds faster than 100 mph.

Before the hail storm:

  • Learn to recognize the weather conditions that cause hail storms
  • Listen to your NOAA Weather Radio and local news and radio stations for hail storm watches or warnings
  • If weather conditions are prime for hail storms, consider pulling property under covered areas
  • As hail is usually paired with severe thunderstorms and/or tornados, follow the safety procedures specified for the most severe threat

If a severe thunderstorm has been predicted to produce hail, you should:

  • Seek shelter immediately, any size hail can be dangerous in high winds
  • Listen to your NOAA Weather Radio, local news and radio for updates on weather conditions and emergency instructions
  • National Weather Service

Support Links

Evacuation or Shelter-in-Place
Texas A&M Thunderstorm Guide 
Texas A&M Winter Storm Guide
National Weather Service — Weather Safety