STORM2K

i remember someone was talkin about seeing hail fall in winter storms. is this possible?...or could they be referring to sleet. i was always under the impression that hail only falls from thunderstorm clouds. ( cumulonimbus )

I've heard the same thing with people saying that in fall snowfall there is sometimes hail. I think it's just sleet and they just don't know it...that's what I think.

Hail can fall in winter storms. They typically only do so during convective event (i.e. thundersnow), but it can happen.

When I was in MO, we had hail events during the cold season-they would occur when we had a strong warm moisture surge ahead of a cold front which resulted in thunderstorms in January. Also I saw 1/2 inch hail on two occasions during freezing rain events since the overrunning air was very unstable (the surface temperature was in the 20's). Additionally, thunderstorms along the US West Coast and in coastal SoCA typically occur during the November through May period and can (and do) produce hail. I've also videotaped hail producing thunderstorms down here in February.

Steve

Cyclenall wrote:I've heard the same thing with people saying that in fall snowfall there is sometimes hail. I think it's just sleet and they just don't know it...that's what I think.

I remember sleet before snowfall.

thanks for the replies guys