| Term: | Hail |
| Definition: |
Precipitation of small balls or pieces of ice with a diameter ranging from 5 to 50 mm or more. Hail is generally observed during heavy thunderstorms. CanadaNCA
Precipitation of small balls or pieces of ice (hailstones) with a diameter ranging from 5 to 50 millimeters (0.2 to 2.0 inches), or sometimes bigger, falling either separately or agglomerated into irregular lumps; when the diameter is less than about 5 millimeters (0.2 inch), the balls are called ice pellets. NSIDCCryosphere Showery precipitation in the form of irregular pellets or balls of ice more than 5 mm in diameter, falling from a cumulonimbus cloud. NOAA-NWS Precipitation (falling) of particles of ice (hailstones). Usually spheroid, conical or irregular in form and with a diameter varying generally between 5 and 50 millimetres. Hail falls from clouds either separately or collected into irregular lumps. AustraliaBoM Precipitation of small balls or pieces of ice (hailstones) with a diameter greater than 5 millimetres, falling either separately or agglomerated into irregular lumps. WMOHydrology Precipitation in the form of balls or irregular lumps of ice, always produced by convective clouds, nearly always cumulonimbus. An individual unit of hail is called a hailstone. By convention, hail has a diameter of 5 mm or more, while smaller particles of similar origin, formerly called small hail, may be classed as either ice pellets or snow pellets. Thunderstorms that are characterized by strong updrafts, large liquid water contents, large cloud-drop sizes, and great vertical height are favorable to hail formation. The destructive effects of hailstorms upon plant and animal life, buildings and property, and aircraft in flight render them a prime object of weather modification studies. In aviation weather observations, hail is encoded A. AMSglossary Hail is a solid form of precipitation that has a diameter greater than 5 millimeters. Occasionally, hailstones can be the size of golf balls or larger. Hailstones of this size can be quite destructive. The intense updrafts in mature thunderstorm clouds are a necessary requirement for hail formation. PhysicalGeography Precipitation of small balls or pieces of ice (hailstones) with a diameter ranging from 5 to 50 mm, or sometimes more, falling either separately or agglomerated into irregular lumps. When the diameter is less than about 5 mm, the balls are called ice pellets. SPRI GCW |