WEST MICHIGAN — Severe Weather Awareness Weeks are scheduled across the county as an opportunity to raise awareness of severe weather hazards. It's a time to prepare and learn how to stay safe in severe storms. They are often scheduled ahead of the typical severe weather season for each state. In Michigan, Severe Weather Awareness Week is March 17 through March 23.
The best way to stay safe during severe weather in West Michigan is to be both prepared and informed. The FOX 17 Weather Team will be explaining severe weather conditions and severe weather safety tips all week long. Click here for our daily coverage on Severe Weather Awareness Week.
Today's Question: How does hail form?
Hail typically forms within strong to severe thunderstorms.
Each strong thunderstorm typically has a strong updraft. That updraft allows the clouds to grow with height. You might notice this during the spring or summer when a thunderstorm is in the distance, and you can see the tall cumulonimbus clouds.
During thunderstorms, frozen water droplets are swept upwards by the updrafts.
The higher the frozen water droplets are swept up, the colder the temperature becomes.
Every time the frozen water droplet rises above the freezing level, additional layers of ice form around it. Eventually, that frozen water droplet becomes a hailstone.
In time, the weight of the hailstone exceeds the force of the updraft. The updraft wind speeds aren't strong enough to keep the hail in the cloud, so it falls to the ground. That's when we experience and see hailstones.
The stronger the updraft speed and strength, the longer it can keep the hailstone in the cloud. The longer the hailstone is creating layers of ice, the heavier and larger it becomes. Take a look at the image below. It represents how large the hailstone can become based on how strong the updraft speed is.
For example, if the updraft speed is 60 mph, the hailstone can form to be the size of a ping pong. At times, hail can grow to be as large as a grapefruit! That means it has a diameter of 4.5 inches.
In West Michigan, it is common for hail to range between the size of a quarter to the size of a tennis ball during the severe weather season.
If you are able to safely take photos of hail once the storm has passed, you can email them to weather@fox17online.com.
For the latest details on the weather in West Michigan, head to the FOX 17 Weather page.
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