All hail the newest entry in Alabama’s weather record books.
AL.com cites a release from state climatologist Dr. John Christy that says a hailstone that fell March 19 in Cullman County is the largest on record in the state. Weighing in at nearly 10 ounces (283.5 grams), the superlative chunk of ice measured 5.38 inches (13.7 centimeters) wide, with a total volume of 19.8 cubic inches (325 cubic centimeters).
As a comparison, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety says a baseball’s volume is around 13.4 cubic inches (220 cubic centimeters).
The hailstone fell in the yard of Cullman Tribune writer Craig Mann, who saved it before phoning the National Weather Service in Huntsville. That office’s meteorologist-in-charge, Chris Darden, said it was the first U.S. hailstone measured for volume.
The largest U.S .hailstone on record fell in 2010 in South Dakota, weighing 1.93 pounds (0.88 kilograms).
(Associated Press, copyright 2018)
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