Twin City Hail Storms are fairly common this time of year. Recently, the Twin Cities was hit by severe thunderstorms. Non-stop lightning punctuated the skies throughout the night. Gusts of wind reached 61 mph, and over 10,000 homes in the south and west metro were without power. It was the hail that left a lasting impression on homes around the Twin Cities. Hailstones were golf ball sized and larger—some even as big as baseballs! The hail event lasted nearly 15 minutes.
How is hail formed?
In the cold, upper regions of storm clouds, water droplets sometimes freeze together. As the tiny hail begins to fall from the cloud, a strong updraft of wind lifts it back up into the cloud again. More water droplets hit the icy ball. They freeze to the hail’s surface, increasing its size. This hail forming continues over and over until the hailstone is too heavy to be lifted into the cloud. At this point, the hailstone drops to the earth. It hits crops, cars, and your home’s roof and siding, doing damage.
Preventing Hail Damage
The Great Plains area of the United States is known as hail Alley for the amount of hail we get. Over the years, people have attempted to prevent hail, thus, eliminating hail damage. They have done everything from shooting cannons into the clouds to ringing church bells to “seeding” clouds.[1] Unfortunately, we have no way of preventing hailstorms. Your best bet is to keep your car sheltered, and your home insured. Twin City hail storms can appear any time in the spring, summer, and fall.
Here are objects that are commonly compared to hailstones:[2]
- Pea = 1/4 inch diameter
- Mothball = 1/2 inch diameter
- Penny = 3/4 inch diameter
- Nickel = 7/8 inch
- Quarter = 1 inch — hail quarter size or larger is considered severe
- Ping-Pong Ball = 1 1/2 inch
- Golf ball = 1 3/4 inches
- Tennis Ball = 2 1/2 inches
- Baseball = 2 3/4 inches
- Tea cup = 3 inches
- Softball = 4 inches
- Grapefruit = 4 1/2 inches
Your Home and Hail Damage After Twin Cities Hail Storm
Since the most recent Twin Cities hailstorm on August 10th, All Craftsmen Exteriors has been extremely busy. We thank all of our customers who have reached out during this time. We will get back to each of you soon and appreciate your patience. If you have damage to your home due to hail, contact us today.
[1] National Geographic Society. “Hail.” National Geographic Society, 9 Oct. 2012, www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/hail/.
[2] “Hail Basics.” NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory, www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/hail/.
