Hailstorms

The edge of a hail producing storm cell at sunset.

The lifting then supercooling of raindrops cause the formation of ice balls, also known as hail. This process can be repeated multiple times depending on the strength of the updraft. The once pea-sized pieces of ice may grow to sizes comparable to golf balls or baseballs by the time they drop to earth. The growth itself is classified in two ways: by wet growth or by dry growth. The process of wet growth occurs when water collides with a small piece of ice. The air temperature is below freezing, but not too cold so the water slowly freezes around tumbling ice particle eventually forming clear ice. In dry growth, the far below freezing air temperature causes the water to instead freeze immediately. This traps any present air bubbles resulting in a cloudy piece of ice. Hailstone may also contain layers which indicate the number of times the updraft lifted that particular piece to the storm top for more formation. While hail rarely causes fatalities, the damage from either the size or the amount can cause a number of issue.