I usually like to sleep in rather late, since I'm a night owl and do my best work in the hours after dinner. However, on Friday morning I was rudely awakened by loud banging that sounded like someone in the house slamming doors or drawers. My husband had already left for work, so what the... that's when I glanced out the window and realized how hard it was pouring, and what were those white streaks- snow? No! The noises I was hearing were the large hailstones pounding on the window and the air conditioner.
I'm not a storm chaser, though I love storms and wish I had the means to do one of those week-long Tornado Alley tour-thingys... but I know enough about storms to wonder where these golf-ball sized hailstones were coming from at 8:30 in the morning. Storms make large hail when strong updrafts can keep them bouncing in the atmosphere for a long time- the longer they're up there, the bigger they get. But I think (correct me if I'm wrong!) that for the updraft to get that strong, the ground has to be heated up enough for the air near it to be warmed and lifted. So, hailstorms in the morning are rare- there hasn't been any time for the sun to shine on the ground and warm it up.
Anyways, I was jolted out of bed by the sheer wonder of it all, and managed to grab my camera and snap some pictures out on the front stoop in my pj's before they all melted. I know, these aren't exactly HUGE stones, but the biggest I've seen in my neck of the woods. And, I was up earlier than normal so I managed to get a lot done that day. =)
1 comment:
that is some intense hail
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