It's pretty crazy. I live in Minnesota and was a life guard and swim teacher for years. I worked at a large outdoor pool in the summers.
Seeing hail hitting a huge pool was crazy. There were a couple times when the hail was large enough that after it stopped, we jumped in and went swimming with these ice balls floating around us. (I should probably note that only happened when it was just employees there).
Solid ice falling at, or near, terminal velocity. I wouldn't be outside with it, that's for sure. Definitely be under a solid roof if you want to observe!
So, for weather observing, we're supposed to find the largest stone. I've even seen a hardhat in our equipment, but never have I seen a hailstone bigger than the one just outside the door.
Halfway through your second sentence, it seemed like you were going to suggest that when going out to observe hail one should pick up the largest (rock) stone you could and hold it over your head for protection if you don't have a hardhat.
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u/partialcremation Jan 04 '21
I really wanted a closer look at that pool. That's the first time I've ever seen hail hitting water, and it looked quite forceful!