a thunderstorm

moisture in the air condenses, sometimes very quickly, hail will form.

Glenn Burns

If the updrafts of air are strong, a hail pellet being pulled to the ground by gravity, will often be forced back up in to the top of the cloud, refreezing as it collides with raindrops. This process can happen over and over again until the hail becomes heavy enough to overcome the storm updraft. If you are the curious type, you can cut a hail stone open and see rings. Each ring will tell you how many times the stone was forced back up into the cloud. When you see a large hail stone in your yard, you know you have a powerful updraft. If hail that is 3/4inch in diameter occurs, that is considered severe hail and a severe thunderstorm warning will be issued by the National Weather Service.

Outlook

Hail, as we all know, can cause quite a bit of damage to our homes, cars, and gardens. However, it is not responsible for what kills more people every year than tornadoes. That is lightning. A billion watts of electricity with 300,000 volts. It is about an inch in diameter and is 50,000 degrees hot, five times hotter than the surface of the sun. This is what worries me most about

See Burns, page 54