A 6.4-inch hailstone that fell near Hondo in April has officially set a state record for hail.
NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information published their findings this week.
The report found that the hailstone had a circumference of almost 20 inches and weighed a little over a pound — the largest hailstone in recorded state history.
But it might not have been the largest hailstone in the storm.
The SCEC report mentioned another hailstone was collected near Hondo that evening, which may have been slightly larger. That hailstone was never collected and measured. The report says the hail was "was ultimately used for margaritas according to the person who shared the images."
Our cars are shuddering at the thought of the latest State Climate Extremes Committee record — a 6.4-inch diameter hailstone that fell in Hondo, TX on April 28, 2021. More on the new record: https://t.co/VzXG4BtiCl @climatexas #TXClimate pic.twitter.com/dzUNpWmyA0
— NOAA NCEI Climate (@NOAANCEIclimate) June 25, 2021
Strong thunderstorms dropped large amounts of hail on April 28 along the stretch of Highway 90 between Del Rio and San Antonio. The storm was one of three in the Oklahoma-Texas area, which altogether likely caused more than $1 billion in damage.
The world record for hailstone size was set in February 2018 in Córdoba Province, Argentina, according to The Weather Channel. That hailstone was possibly as wide as 9.3 inches.
The National Weather Service typically considers severe hail to be the size of a quarter at minimum.
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety used a 3D laser scanner to collect a precise dimension and digitally preserve its shape. It's the 3rd state-record hailstone 3D scanned by IBHS.
Video provided by the Insurance Institute For Business & Home Safety.
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