August 1, 2003
A record size hailstone that fell during a storm in Aurora, Neb. June 22, 2003, is displayed in Hastings, Neb. in this recent photo. The hailstone, seven inches in diameter, was measured by the National Weather Service forecast office in Hastings , verified by a team of weather forecasters and determined to better the previous record-holder--which had a diameter of 5.7 inches-- as the largest hailstone. (AP Photo/National Weather Service)
A record-size hailstone crashed into Nebraska during a storm in June, federal weather experts said Friday.
The June 22 storm produced a hailstone 7 inches in diameter and 18.75 inches in circumference at Aurora, Neb., the National Climatic Data Center said.
The stone was measured by the National Weather Service forecast office in Hastings, Neb., and verified by a team of weather forecasters.
The previous record-holder as the largest hailstone had a diameter of 5.7 inches and a circumference of 17.5 inches, and was found in Coffeyville, Kan., on Sept. 3, 1970.
Jay Lawrimore of the climate data center said the Aurora hailstone didn't break the record for the heaviest hailstone, however.
"It was hard for us to get an accurate weight for this stone because a chunk of it hit the gutter of a house and 40 percent of it was lost," he said. "Also, we think some of the stone's mass might have melted before it was preserved in freezing conditions."
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On the Net:
National Climatic Data Center:
National Climatic Data Center: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html
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