'Insane' Florida weather: Best tweets, Instagrams, video, photos of hail in late April

Cheryl McCloud, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·3 min read

Wednesday's storms brought hail and strong winds across Florida, with many locations reporting hail the size of golf balls.

Hail was reported from Jacksonville south to Palm Beach and as far west as Gainesville and Orlando.

Residents took to social media to share videos and images of the hail.

More severe weather: Severe weather forecast puts more than 30 million people at risk Thursday; winter weather in Rockies

Palm Bay, West Melbourne hail: Hail hits West Melbourne, strong storms roll through Brevard County

NWS predicted large hail: Baseball-sized hail, winds over 60 mph, isolated tornadoes possible across Central Florida

Hail in Palm Bay, West Melbourne described as 'insane'

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Hail, severe storm in Callahan, northwest of Jacksonville

Hail in Florida is 'one for the books'

Hail in Lake County near Clermont, Orlando

Flooding in Vero Beach, Indian River County

Interactive map shows where hail, strong winds reported after Florida storms

What is hail?

Hail is precipitation that is formed when updrafts in thunderstorms carry raindrops up into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere, according to the National Weather Service. As water droplets collide with other droplets just before freezing, the resulting hailstones can grow to several inches in diameter.

While Florida has the most thunderstorms, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming usually have the most hail storms. That's because the freezing level in the Florida thunderstorms is so high, the hail often melts before reaching the ground.

What is the largest hailstone ever recovered in the US?

The largest hailstone recorded in the United States fell in Vivian, South Dakota, July 23, 2010. It measured 8 inches in diameter, was 18.625 inches in circumference, and weighed 1.9375 pounds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This hailstone broke the previous record in the U.S. of a hailstone that was 7 inches in diameter and fell in Aurora, Nebraska, June 22, 2003. The previous heaviest hailstone weighed 1.67 pounds and fell Sept. 3, 1970, in Coffeyvile, Kansas.

Is hail snow?

No. Snow requires cold temperatures near the ground. Hail is formed high in the atmosphere.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Twitter reacts to Florida hail, severe weather storm in late April