A huge hailstone that fell during an April thunderstorm is officially the largest in Texas history, officials say.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday that a 1.26-pound hailstone retrieved April 28 near Hondo, west of San Antonio, is the biggest recorded in the state.
It measured 19.7 inches in circumference and 6.4 inches in diameter with a volume of 40.2 cubic inches. In comparison, a softball has a 12-inch circumference and is 3.82 inches in diameter.
The storm that whipped up this beastly hailstone began as two supercells that converged as they pushed through the area and produced a tornado, weather officials say. The storm caused serious damage along U.S. Highway 90.
The first “gargantuan” hailstone
The first “gargantuan” hailstone reported to the National Weather Service and local media dropped south of the highway. But experts never got a chance to officially measure this hailstone because it was “ultimately used for margaritas,” a NOAA report says.
Analyzing a photo of the hailstone from before it was consumed, Penn State University meteorology professor Matt Kumjian used “photogrammetry” to estimate the diameter was between 6.27 and 6.57 inches.
Estimated max. dimension of this #gargantuan stone, accounting for perspective: 6.27-6.57 inches! It’s gargantuan (>6″)! Happy for colleagues to attempt/improve: @Albatrossoar @joshuasoderholm @igiammanco33 .@NWSSanAntonio #Hondo, TX beneath BWER, extremely low CC aloft. #hail pic.twitter.com/pRC2Y7c1Ft
— PSURadarMeteorology (@PSU_RadarMeteo) April 30, 2021
If the stone was on higher end of this range, it would’ve been larger in diameter than the record-holder.
Nevertheless, we’ll never know.
The National Weather Service Austin-San Antonio and the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety sent employees to the home of the person who found the record-breaking hailstone, where it had been stored in a freezer.
Hondo, Texas now tops the IBHS list of largest hailstone scanned. @rossmanbrm12 scanned the hailstone that fell last Wednesday at 6.4″ in diameter. Now, a committee will review to determine where this hailstone stacks up in state history.
Thanks @NWSSanAntonio for coordinating! pic.twitter.com/sNtdc8SDop
— IBHS (@disastersafety) May 7, 2021
There, the experts “conducted a formal weighing, calipers measurement, 3D analysis, and visual examination of the hailstone.”
Until now, Texas didn’t have an official hail record. But the largest reported hailstones in the state by diameter are the following:
• 8 inches, Washington County in December 1892
• 7-8 inches, Winkler County in May 1960
• 6 inches, Moore County in June 2010
• 6 inches, Ward County in May 1991
The largest hailstone recorded in the U.S. fell in Vivian, South Dakota, in July 2010. It was 8 inches in diameter and weighed 1.9 pounds. [Star-Telegram]
Now subscribe to this blog to get more amazing news curated just for you right in your inbox on a daily basis (here an example of our new newsletter).
You can also follow us on Facebook and/ or Twitter. And, by the way you can also make a donation through Paypal. Thank you!
You should really subscribe to QFiles. You will get very interesting information about strange events around the world.
id say that may have come off of a plane
It was probably much larger. Think of how much broke off as it crashed into the house, into the ground, etc etc.
That’s a very good point.
Globull warming didn’t melt that behemoth. That size would definitely kill or seriously injure a human.
If weather modification is possible, then the globalists are aiming at Texas, since it has the highest probability of being able to seceed from marxist control, and prosper.
Globalists can’t tolerate an independent, critical-thinking, self-sustaining people that don’t want enslavement nowadays.
Everything is bigger in Texas. Better put some plate armor in your Stetson.
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0045883/
John Wayne film, Hondo 1952ish. No hail, plenty of arrows.
Great old western.
Amen, brother. We were also victims of the manufactured weather where I am–certainly in February and probably again in April, I believe, with the “gorilla hail.” I still have visible damage on my property. (central Texas)
We get .22 -.32 cal hail. So, nothing to complain about. It does light damage to trees, but they seem to be hearty and rebound.
I know my geese and ducks go hide under the outside table when we get hail.
I go out and see how bad it stings, and pick it up to examine it.