How does hail form?

How does hail form?

• Inside of a thunderstorm are strong updrafts of warm air and downdrafts of cold air.


• If a water droplet is picked up by the updrafts...it can be carried well above the freezing level. With temperatures below 32F...our water droplet freezes.


• As the frozen droplet begins to fall...carried by cold downdrafts...it may thaw as it moves into warmer air toward the bottom of the thunderstorm


• But...our little half-frozen droplet may also get picked up again by another updraft...carrying it back into very cold air and re-freezing it. With each trip above and below the freezing level our frozen droplet adds another layer of ice.


• Finally...our frozen water droplet...with many layers of ice - much like the rings in a tree...falls to the ground - as hail!