Hailstone Sizes
Assorted Hailstones (Credit: NOAA Photo Library)
US National Weather Service Hailstone Size Categories
| HAIL DIAMETER SIZE (Inches) | DESCRIPTION |
| 1/4" | Pea Size |
| 1/2" | Mothball or Marble Size |
| 3/4" (Severe Criteria) | Penny or Dime Size |
| 7/8" | Nickel Size |
| 1" | Quarter Size |
| 1 1/4" | Half Dollar Size |
| 1 1/2" | Walnut or Ping Pong Ball Size |
| 1 3/4" | Golf Ball Size |
| 2" | Hen Egg Size |
| 2 1/2" | Tennis Ball Size |
| 2 3/4" | Baseball Size |
| 3" | Teacup Size |
| 4" | Grapefruit Size |
| 4 1/2" | Softball Size |
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Scientist Nancy Knight holds Coffeyville, KS hailstone, diameter 14.4 cm (5.67 inches).
Credit: NOAA Photo Library |
Aggregate grapefruit-sizehailstone, diameter approx. 15 cm (6 inches).
Credit: NOAA Photo Library |
 | Large hailstone approx. 10 cm (4 inches)
softball size.
Credit: NOAA Photo Library |
British Meteorological Office Hailstone Size Categories
| HAIL DIAMETER SIZE (mm) | DESCRIPTION |
|---|
| 5 - 10 mm | Pea. |
| 11 - 15 mm | Mothball, bean, hazelnut. |
| 16 - 20 mm | Marble, cherry, small grape. |
| 21 - 30 mm | Large marble, large grape, walnut. |
| 31 - 45 mm | Chestnut, pigeon's egg, golf-ball, table-tennis ball, squash ball. |
| 46 - 60 mm | Hen's egg, small peach, small apple, billiard ball. |
| 61 - 80 mm | Large peach, large apple, goose egg, small/medium orange,
tennis ball, cricket ball, baseball. |
| 81 - 100 mm | Large orange, grapefruit, softball. |
| 101 - 125 mm | Melon. |
| over 125 mm | Coconut, etc. |
Learn More From These Relevant Books
Chosen by The Weather Doctor
- Burt, Christopher C.: Extreme Weather: A Guide and Record Book, 2004 (pb), W. W. Norton & Company, ISBN 039333015X.
- Bluestein, Howard B.: Tornado Alley: Monster Storms of The Great Plains, 1999, Oxford University Press, New York, ISBN 019-510552-4.
- Williams, Jack: The Weather Book, 1997, Vintage Books, ISBN 0-679-77665-6.
Hailstone Sizes ©2002, Keith C. Heidorn, PhD. All Rights Reserved.
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