Words About Weather
Staff Writer: Cecelia Feichtel, Grade 7
Q: Why Does Hail Usually Fall Into Dangerous Weather?
Well, to answer this question, first you have to know how hail forms. Hail is a form of precipitation that, obviously, can be very dangerous. It forms when updrafts (fast, upward bursts of wind) in thunderstorms propel the raindrops upward until they reach the extremely cold layers of the atmosphere. This is where they freeze into balls of ice. They grow by colliding with the water droplets that are hovering in those layers, and the droplets freeze on contact with the ice crystals.
If the hail just kind of floats around, balanced in the updraft, it will have few to no layers. But if the updraft is wild and crazy, the hail will bounce up and down, gathering layers as it goes. Sometimes, hailstones will melt and reform, leaving behind their circular shape and assuming a more irregular bulge.
Hail falls when the updraft is no longer strong enough to support it. In other words, the wilder and stronger the updraft, the more dangerous the hail will be, and there’s your answer.
A: Hail doesn’t just fall into dangerous weather. The more deadly and noteable hailstones do, though. Severe storms and tornadoes are born, live, and die depending mainly on a crazy updraft. The same thing that fuels hail, so watch out for hail in a severe weather situation.
Here is a fun fact. There is actually a “Hail Alley” where the most hailstones fall in the U.S. yearly. This area consists of the meeting edges of Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska.
Cloud of the Month: The Cirrus Cloud
The cirrus cloud is a wispy, thin strand of puffy cloud that curls at the end. It can form anywhere between 16,500 feet and 45,000 feet above sea level, and usually heads cold fronts. They are a precursor to thunderstorms and other severe weather.
Hey! Check out this cool website about hail! Learn more if you’re interested in the topic!!!
https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/hail/
Fair Use Notice: All facts and images were used for educational purposes and under the fair use of copyright laws.