Hail | Meteorology - Encyclopedia Britannica

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External Websites

• Geosciences LibreTexts - Precipitation and Hail
• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Severe Hail Fall and Hailstorm Detection Using Remote Sensing Observations
• NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory - Severe Weather 101: Hail Basics
• Pennsylvania State University - Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science - Hail

hail meteorology Ask Anything Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Nov. 26, 2025 •History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

hail, precipitation of balls or pieces of ice with a diameter of 5 mm (about 0.2 inch) to more than 15 cm (about 6 inches). In contrast, ice pellets (sleet; sometimes called small hail) have a diameter less than 5 mm. Because the formation of hail usually requires cumulonimbus or other convective clouds with strong updrafts, it often accompanies thunderstorms.

Large hailstones are often characterized by alternating layers of clear and opaque ice, caused by irregular rates of freezing. In areas where the temperature is not far below 0 °C (32 °F), freezing occurs slowly, allowing trapped air to escape and producing clear ice. When the hailstone then moves into a much colder area, freezing occurs quickly, trapping air and producing a layer of white ice.

Related Topics: precipitation hydrometeor hailstone soft hail small hail (Show more) See all related content

Hail is extremely destructive to buildings and crops; if large enough, it may be dangerous to animals exposed to it. Hailstones about 15 cm (6 inches) in diameter have fallen during thunderstorms in the Middle West of the United States. Hailstorms are most common in the midlatitudes and usually last around 15 minutes. They ordinarily occur in mid-to-late afternoon. See also sleet.

Britannica Quiz Weather Words Vocabulary Quiz This article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty.