Episode
Raising Hail
- Podcast
- EarthDate
- Published
- May 10, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 120
- Processing state
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- https://blubrry.com/3957418/153852820/raising-hail/
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Summary
Hail is created when rain starts falling up. This usually happens in the spring, in middle latitudes, when tall clouds form over warm updrafts. In the cold upper reaches of the cloud, water condenses around nuclei, like dust particles, dirt, or salt crystals, to form droplets of rain that begin to fall to Earth...but then are pushed back upwards by the updraft. The rain droplets tumble within the cold center of the cloud, falling down and being pushed back up repeatedly, where they collide with other droplets and begin to freeze, turning into tiny hailstones. More water droplets and water vapor freeze around them, and the hail grows in size and weight. If the updraft is strong, the hail will continue to be suspended in the middle of the cloud, growing until it’s too heavy to stay aloft. When the hailstones do fall, they can be destructive. Small hail weighs less than an ounce. But even that can cause billions of dollars in damage, pummeling crops, denting cars, and destroying roofs. However, hail as large as a softball has been reported, falling at more than 100 miles an hour. Giant hailstones like this have occasionally even killed people. So, if you see hail larger than golf balls falling, take shelter underground, or inside a building away from windows, which can break. Because, while a little water never hurt anyone, it can be dangerous as hail.