Facts about hail, the icy precipitation often encountered in spring and summer
ISABELLA O’MALLEY
Associated Press
Intense storms that swept through Kansas and Missouri on Wednesday brought whipping winds, possible tornadoes — and what some described as “gorilla hail.” Hail is a product of thunderstorms and the size of this precipitation depends on the strength of the updraft, which is the upward flow of air in a thunderstorm. In Kansas, hail that was nearly the size of a softball and measuring 4 inches (10 centimeters) was reported in the town of Wabaunsee and 3-inch (7.6-centimeter) hail was reported in Geary County near Junction City and Fort Riley.