 Vivian, SD |
 Aurora, NE |
 Coffeeville, KS |
Note: It’s official, a new record!
A record-holding hailstone fell in Aurora, Nebraska., on June 22, 2003, from was has been referred to as “the mother of all supercells”. It measured 7 inches in diameter with a circumference of 18.75 inches. Now, seven years later, it appears as if that record may be broken.
Severe thunderstorms last Friday, July 23rd, produced numerous reports of large hail and even a tornado in eastern and northeastern South Dakota. Among the reports, the town of Vivian has the hardest hit with extensive hail damage. While surveying the ground for hail stones, a particularly large “spiked” stone was spotted. Turns out this could be the largest ever found!
The National Weather Service office in Aberdeen, South Dakota weighed the stone at 1.9375 pounds which is a world record weight. The circumference prior to melting was 18.5 inches with a diameter of 8 inches. This is likely enough to establish this as the largest hailstone on record!
Of local interest, the hailstone which held the record prior to the two abovementioned fell just west of the Ozarks in Coffeeville, Kansas on September 3, 1970 It had a diameter of 5.7 inches and a circumference of 17.5 inches.
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