Answered from cited sources · retrieved September 20, 2026
why does it hail
Hail forms when thunderstorm updrafts carry water droplets into freezing atmospheric temperatures, where they freeze and grow into ice pellets before falling to Earth.
Hail forms within thunderstorms when strong updrafts carry water droplets into extremely cold regions of the atmosphere, causing them to freeze into ice embryos. These embryos grow into hailstones by colliding with supercooled water droplets—liquid water that remains below freezing—which freeze onto the surface upon contact. The hailstone continues to grow as it is suspended in the updraft, often accumulating layers of clear or cloudy ice depending on how quickly the water freezes. Once the hailstone becomes too heavy for the updraft to support, or it is pushed out of the updraft, it falls to the ground due to gravity. If the air near the surface is warm, smaller hailstones may melt before reaching the ground.
- Updrafts and Freezing. Strong updrafts within a thunderstorm lift water droplets high into the atmosphere where temperatures are well below freezing, turning them into ice embryos.
- Growth Process. As the ice embryo is suspended in the updraft, it collides with supercooled water droplets that freeze onto its surface, causing it to increase in size.
- Layered Structure. Hailstones can develop layers of clear or cloudy ice depending on the temperature and the rate at which the supercooled water freezes upon contact.
- Falling to Earth. When a hailstone becomes too heavy for the updraft to support, it falls to the ground, though it may melt if it passes through warm air near the surface.
Sources
- Severe Weather 101: Hail Basicsnssl.noaa.gov
- How does hail form? - Global Precipitation Measurement - NASAgpm.nasa.gov
- Thunderstorm Hazards - Hail | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationnoaa.gov
- Why Does Hail Happen? - UCAR Center for Science Educationscied.ucar.edu
- Explainer: How does hail form? - Social Media Blog - Bureau of Meteorologymedia.bom.gov.au · published May 24, 2018
- Hailweather.metoffice.gov.uk
- How does hail grow to the size of golf balls and even grapefruit? The science behind a destructive weather phenomenontheconversation.com · published June 26, 2024
- MRCC - Hail - Midwestern Regional Climate Centermrcc.purdue.edu
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