Hail has been reported in the US 4,800 times so far in 2023, more than all of last year

Just over halfway into 2023, the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center has tabulated nearly 400 more reports of hail than all of last year.

There have been 4,834 hail reports across the U.S. as of mid-July, about 9% higher last year’s total of 4,436. Texas has been hit hardest with more than 1,000, but five other states have experienced 250 or more (in descending order) as of July 10: Missouri, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois and Nebraska.

Just last month, a hailstorm canceled a Louis Tomlinson concert near Denver in Red Rocks Amphitheater after concertgoers were hit by severe weather and golf-ball-sized hail.

Hail is a natural phenomenon that can damage crops, cars and homes. It can also be deadly for livestock and for people. Each year, hailstorms cause $8 billion to $14 billion in damage in the United States, according to State Farm Insurance.

Where hail occurs the most

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming frequently top all other the states with the most hailstorms. Seven to nine hail days a year are typical in the “hail alley” region where these three states converge. This year, though, Texas is bearing the brunt.

How hail forms

Hail forms inside cumulonimbus clouds, which produce thunder, lightning and hail.

Hailstones form through a cycle that circulates raindrops throughout a cloud. Gravity pulls the water particles toward the bottom of the cloud, but strong air drafts pulls them back up. It’s in the cloud’s upper region where the particles encounter supercooled water. With each cycle, more water freezes onto the ice particles and adds layers of ice to the developing hailstone.

The cycle can be repeated several times, creating very large hailstones. After a while, the hailstone’s weight prevents it from being drawn back up, and it will fall to the ground.

Hailstones have an onion-like structure because of the way they form. The biggest hailstones develop in storm clouds with extremely powerful updrafts.

In the U.S. every year, hailstorms pose a threat to animals and humans. According to NOAA, 24 people are injured on average every year, and some suffer injuries serious enough to require hospitalization. Four people have died as a result of hail since 2000.