Everyone knows that hail is a chunk of ice that falls from the sky during a thunderstorm, usually landing right in the middle of the hood of your car. While there is no mystery surrounding the damage hail can cause, questions remain about how hail is formed prior to nailing your vehicle.
Small hailstones have a soft core and a harder shell.
They are formed when the outer coating of a clump of snow melts, refreezes and then falls to the ground. Scientists aren't exactly sure how large hailstones develop. If you cut a large hailstone in half, you are likely to see that it is made up of many different layers. Many believe small hailstones that are falling through the storm melt get blown back up by powerful updrafts, pick up even more moisture and refreeze. Eventually the hailstone gets so heavy that winds can no longer blow it up and the stone falls to earth, or more likely, the hood of your car.