That seems to be an apt description based mostly on an inspection of pictures from witnesses.

A lot hail poured down that it coated the bottom like snow in Linkwood, Md., about 5 miles east of Cambridge. The stones had been so large that they damaged homes, puncturing siding and peeling off paint. Additionally they dented automobiles and shattered mirrors.

“My mother and father stay simply outdoors of Cambridge,” Caroline Stutts, who follows Capital Climate Gang on Fb, wrote. “Their automobile home windows had been busted out and gutters destroyed.”

What triggered these huge spiky hail stones to develop?

The accountable storm cell, proven in a radar snapshot beneath, was very giant and intense. It developed over excessive terrain in Northern Virginia and shortly grew in measurement and power because it tracked east, producing hail close to Manassas, south Alexandria and Waldorf. By the point it reached Calvert County, it was actually buzzing, after having triggered extreme thunderstorm warnings. In Huntingtown, the hail was as much as two inches throughout, greater than golf balls.

Embedded on this storm was a core of exceptionally high-radar reflectivity values. Reflectivity refers back to the quantity of radar power that has been backscattered by precipitation targets, together with raindrops and hail stones. Values of fifty to 55 dBZ are typical of torrential rain; these as giant as 70 dBZ (proven within the determine) virtually all the time point out the presence of huge hail.

The storm cell was a prolific hail producer, with stones of many sizes. It could appear paradoxical that the biggest items of ice that fall out of clouds happen solely on the warmest days, not the lifeless of winter. However to develop giant, hail stones should be levitated for lengthy durations excessive within the storm cloud, to accrete layer upon layer, and this requires a vigorous cloud updraft.

Buoyant power arises from a really heat and humid air mass near the bottom, and this stokes a strong updraft throughout the storm cloud. A number of hours of sunshine after morning showers enabled temperatures to climb into the low 80s. The quantity of accessible buoyant power shortly elevated.

The extreme storm cell that tracked from close to Warrenton, Va., to Cambridge was a lone wolf, in that it was an remoted entity with a limiteless command on obtainable buoyant power.

Moreover, the wind shear (enhance in wind pace with altitude) was exceptionally sturdy for mid-Could, because of an intensifying jet stream disturbance aloft. Wind shear of this depth causes the updraft to lean downwind, permitting it to unload its cache of rainwater and hail over lengthy distances. In such an surroundings, buoyancy forces can act unimpeded and allow the updraft to speed up to excessive velocity. Increased velocities allow the updraft to droop bigger stones aloft.

The hail spikes most likely shaped as giant, embryonic stones descended quickly via a mass of smaller stones; the small stones accreted onto the skin of the massive stones till they turned too heavy for the updraft to droop. Then they crashed to the bottom.

The hail that ordinarily accompanies storms within the Washington space is across the measurement of a pea. As soon as in a fantastic whereas, the stones are as large as a golf ball. Situations of something greater than which are uncommon. A number of the largest hail within the area occurred throughout the La Plata twister 20 years in the past, when stones reached the scale of softballs (4½ inches in diameter).

20 years after La Plata catastrophe, D.C. space’s twister danger has grown