Experienced storm chasers Val and Amy Castor made an extraordinary discovery while tracking a severe thunderstorm in the Texas Panhandle on Sunday: a hailstone measuring over 7 inches long near Vigo Park. This remarkable find is expected to set a new state record.
Describing the hailstone as about the size of a pineapple, Val Castor, who has been chasing storms for more than 30 years, expressed astonishment at its sheer size. He recounted how, while driving, a severe hailstone, roughly the size of a baseball, struck his windshield before he came across the massive hailstone on the roadside. "I could see it from probably 100 yards away," he recalled.
If confirmed, this newly-discovered hailstone would surpass the previous Texas state record of a 6.4-inch hailstone found in Hondo in 2021. However, official confirmation is pending from a team of researchers, including the Texas state climatologist, according to Jordan Salem, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Lubbock.
The National Weather Service in Lubbock shared updates on social media, expressing anticipation for the hailstone's official recognition. They noted that if confirmed, it would break the previous record from Hondo, Texas, in 2021.
The largest hailstone ever recorded in the United States, measuring 11 inches in diameter and weighing nearly 2 pounds, was discovered near Vivian, South Dakota, in July 2010, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
