Hail

Question 1

What causes water droplets to freeze in hail formation?

Answer 1

Strong updrafts push the water droplets up above the freezing level

Question 2

What happens to the updraft after the water droplets freeze?

Answer 2

The updraft dissipates and the frozen droplets fall

Question 3

What occurs as frozen droplets fall in the hail formation process?

Answer 3

They collect more water

Question 4

What may happen to the droplets after they collect more water?

Answer 4

Another updraft may push the droplets up and refreeze them at a larger size

Question 5

What happens when hail becomes too heavy for the updraft?

Answer 5

The hail will fall to the ground

This occurs when the updraft can no longer support the weight of the hail.

Question 6

Where does the hail frequently fall?

Answer 6

Under the anvil

The anvil is the top portion of a thunderstorm cloud.

Question 7

What is the cycle of hail formation?

Answer 7

Hail may repeat many times until too heavy to be carried aloft

Hail forms through repeated cycles of rising and falling within a thunderstorm.