Monster Hailstone Shatters Texas Record

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – A gargantuan hailstone found within the Texas Panhandle on June 2, 2024, has formally shattered the state’s report for the biggest hail ever documented. The stone measured 7.1 inches in diameter — wider than a regulation dimension NFL soccer — and was discovered alongside a roadside ditch close to Vigo Park in Swisher County.

The discovery beat the earlier Texas report of 6.46 inches, set by a hailstone present in Hondo in 2021.

How a Storm Chaser Made the Discovery

Storm chaser Val Castor noticed the huge ice ball whereas pursuing a tornadic supercell thunderstorm throughout the Texas Panhandle.

“As I was chasing this tornadic supercell, I started to notice large hail on the ground the size of softballs,” Castor defined. “I noticed what looked like a gallon jug of milk in the ditch. As I drove past it, I was thinking no way was this a hailstone, but I turned around and went back.”

When Castor approached the hailstone, he realized the magnitude of his discover. The stone was roughly the scale and form of a giant pineapple and was partially buried in mud. Despite missing a tape measure or approach to protect the quickly melting ice, Castor used his digital camera and a Monster Energy drink can as a reference object to doc the hailstone by way of pictures.

“I’ve seen lots of large hail in my 35 years of storm chasing, but this was by far the largest,” Castor stated.

How Experts Confirmed the Record

After Castor and fellow storm chasers photographed the hailstone from a number of angles, they submitted the proof to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) for evaluation.

Using superior photogrammetry — a way that creates exact 3D measurements from 2D pictures — together with AI-based evaluation, consultants decided the hailstone’s diameter to be 7.1 inches. Three separate estimates ranged from 7.06 to 7.25 inches, with 7.1 inches chosen as essentially the most conservative and dependable measurement.

The State Climate Extremes Committee, composed of representatives from the National Weather Service, NOAA, and the Office of the State Climatologist of Texas, unanimously voted to just accept the Vigo Park hailstone as the brand new Texas state report. Professor John Nielsen-Gammon at Texas A&M produced the photogrammetric estimate of seven.16″, which is true in between the very best estimated guess from the committee and what the storm chasers on website predicted.

Hailstones this dimension may cause important injury to properties, automobiles, and crops. While the hail seen throughout the state over the previous week has been nowhere close to the scale of this “Monster,” it serves as a reminder what sort of climate spring and even early summer season can deliver for elements of Texas.

Record Details:

• Location: Three miles west-northwest of Vigo Park, Swisher County, Texas
• Date: June 2, 2024
• Diameter: 7.1 inches
• Previous Record: 6.46 inches (Hondo, Texas, 2021)