Softball-sized hail in Terrell County

April 29, 2009 - 5:09 PM

The National Weather Service reported dangerously large hail stones falling around northeastern Terrell County, meteorologist Ryan Barnes said Wednesday.

A softball-sized hailstone, large enough to kill someone, was spotted five miles north of the Terrell Gas Plant near the eastern county line, he said.

There were also a report from the same area of a funnel cloud, though Barnes said it wasn't a confirmed tornado.

They weather service will try today to call people in the sparsely populated area to determine if any homes or businesses were damaged by the hail. As of press time, there were no damage reports.

Barnes also heard unofficial reports through the afternoon of golf ball-sized hail nine miles north of Iraan, 2-inch hail near Bakersfield and quarter-sized hail near exit 294 off of Interstate 10. Earlier in the afternoon, another storm also brought golf ball-sized hail just south of Snyder.

Barnes said storms that have a stronger updraft generally produce larger-sized hailstones since they are kept in the air longer, allowing for more ice to form around them.