h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As the subject says. I've only seen hail (like right now) in summer. How come?

Really?! What country are you in?

AFAIK - hail forms in strong updrafts which take the mositure higher inthe cloud, where it can freeze and suspend it longer allowing it to form into ice blobs of varying size, depending on the number of updrafts , their strength and sustained life-spans.


With more ground heating in the summer, hot air meeting cool moist air and generating storms etc.

I think that's the mechanism for hail in summer. As to why or if there is more of it in any one spot over others no idea.

Clive has it pretty much spot on. The kind of thunderstorms that are good for producing hail need the powerful heating action of the sun which isn't there during the winter. It's not just ground heating though, instability in the atmosphere is a big factor and again is more likely when the sun is stronger - ie, in the summer.

What I was thinking of is that it isn't related to the ambient cool temperatures i.e winter - when water at ground level and up freezes, but the mechanism for freezing water in the summer which is about the mechanics of storms (i.e atmospheric equilibrium - the energy does work) in this instance the extra energy of solar heating drives stronger winds, faster and for longer in the interiors of storms which is what enables the local effect of very sudden cooling as the water gets higher into the atmosphere.


Basically: the more powerful the storm - the greater the chance of hail. And the power of storm is a function of the mechanics of weather and the increase of local temperatures.