![]() ![]() If the outer coating of these hailstones is not completely frozen, they can collide with each other and stick. Larger hailstones will ascend through the updraft at a slower speed than smaller hailstones. Hailstones can also grow by sticking to each other in a process called wet growth. When the hailstone is in an environment of mainly super-cooled water, a clear layer forms as the super-cooled water freezes instantaneously to the hailstone. This occurs because small air pockets are trapped between the vapor particles as they freeze. When the hailstone is in an environment where mainly water vapor is present, a white or opaque layer forms. The rings represent the different environments the hailstone experiences while moving through the updraft. In many cases, hailstones have a ringed appearance (left). Hailstones often have a ringed appearance, as the hailstone moves into different concentrations of water vapor and super-cooled water through the updraft. Hail, in comparison, is only found in thunderstorms where updrafts in the thunderstorm forces raindrops further up in the atmosphere to freeze. Sleet is found mainly during the cold season and does not occur in thunderstorms. Hail is often confused with other types of freezing precipitation such as sleet. The frozen water droplet then accretes super-cooled water or water vapor, which freezes once it comes in contact with the frozen droplet. Hail forms when a thunderstorm updraft lifts a water droplet above the freezing level in the atmosphere. The same mechanisms that help create tornadic storms-low level moisture, lift, atmospheric instability and wind shear-usually need to be in place for hail stones to become large enough to fall all the way to the surface. For hail to become large enough to reach the surface, the stone must grow large enough in the thunderstorm before falling through the warm lower atmosphere. If the hail stone is small enough, the stone melts in the warmest portions of the atmosphere which are near the ground. While most thunderstorms form hail, hail does not always make it all the way to the ground as hail. When hail stones become too heavy to be lifted by the updraft, they fall to the ground. Hail stones are a frozen form of precipitation that occurs when thunderstorm updrafts lift rain above the freezing level in the atmosphere. Image courtesy Colorado State University. Overnight lows will drop into the 60s area wide.Hail stones from a storm in Colorato. Heaviest rainfall totals will depend on where our front stalls in forward motion. Isolated rainfall amounts around 0.75″-1.00″ will be possible. We will keep a mostly cloudy sky around the region, with isolated showers and storms continuing throughout the day. Widespread cooler temps are expected on Wednesday, with highs in the low 80s to low 90s expected region-wide. ![]() Overnight, an isolated shower or two will remain possible with lows in the low 60s to mid 70s. Isolated showers will be possible behind the front, but most of us will remain dry. As our first push of the cold front moves into the region late Tuesday evening, winds will shift from the south to the northeast. Before the front arrives, winds will be out of the south around 12-18 MPH with high temperatures peaking in the upper 80s to upper 90s. A cold front will begin to move into the region late in the day. Tuesday will be a transition day across eastern New Mexico and western Texas. Monday night into Tuesday morning will be seasonally comfortable as temperatures bottom out in the mid 60s to mid 70s. We will see a partly cloudy sky, with winds out of the south around 12-18 MPH. Highs will warm into the low 90s to lower 100s, with highs ranging from 92-102 degrees. Lows will bottom out in the mid 60s to mid 70s with winds out of the southeast around 8-12 MPH.Ībove average temperatures are expected across the South Plains on Monday. A mostly clear sky will turn partly cloudy by sunrise on Monday morning. ![]()
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