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Hail the size of baseballs? Should Tampa Bay be worried?

 
Folks in Alabama shared photos of the hail that peppered their community Monday night when a severe thunderstorm drug across the southeastern states. Residents woke up to destroyed property and a lot of clean up after hail and tornadoes pummeled the area. Now storms are heading into Florida from the Gulf as the same cold front pushes further south.
Folks in Alabama shared photos of the hail that peppered their community Monday night when a severe thunderstorm drug across the southeastern states. Residents woke up to destroyed property and a lot of clean up after hail and tornadoes pummeled the area. Now storms are heading into Florida from the Gulf as the same cold front pushes further south.
Published March 20, 2018

On Monday night in parts of Alabama and Georgia, ice the size of baseballs fell from the sky. They damaged roofs and vehicles, and peppered pedestrians.

Hail is a nasty bit of weather that is tucked under a thunderstorm and partners with isolated tornados for what is a truly devastating pack.

The same cold front that drove thunderstorms — and that hail — through Alabama on Monday night will reach Tampa Bay by the afternoon.

What can folks around Tampa expect? Is there a danger that tennis ball-sized hail will break windshields?

Marc Austin, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Ruskin, doesn't expect the region will see hail as dramatic as that in Alabama. But he said the likelihood of hail is significant.

"Hail is certainly possible," Austin said. "March through May are the prime times for hail in Florida. After those months it get too warm for hail to form as well."

LOCAL FORECAST: Tampa Bay under tornado watch as strong storms could produce winds, hail

A quick science lesson: The falling ice, which isn't nearly as gentle as snow, is the result of water traveling upward carried by strong gusts during a thunderstorm. The stronger the gusts, the higher the water droplets reach until they freeze. Once frozen, these water droplets collect more water and grow in size until they get too heavy and fall to the ground below.

LIVE RADAR: Interactive storm track, hourly outlooks, 10-day forecasts and weather alerts

Austin said since Alabama is cooler, the storm's ability to form hail was significantly higher. While Florida does have cool air in its atmosphere, it doesn't seem likely to rival the hail production of states to the north.

ALERTS: The latest advisories from the National Weather Service But that doesn't mean it doesn't pose a threat. Hail can often produce slick roads and property damage, and when you partner that with wind gusts whipping at around 50-60 mph, going outside doesn't seem advisable.

As you wake up this AM Alabama—please continue to monitor local news casts for community impact from the damages caused by the tornados, hail and wind. There are widespread power outages, downed trees and damaged structures along the storm's track across our state. pic.twitter.com/55raRa3Wx0

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The thunderstorms ravaging the Southeast have ties with the Nor'easters that have been peppering areas the last couple of weeks.

Nor'easters form when cold fronts from Canada conflict with warm winds and water from the Atlantic, forecasters said. The result is heavy snowfall and coastal flooding, a truly terrible combination.

These storms, which have knocked out power and trapped people in their homes, can whip out long cold fronts that travel south. These fronts have been pushing warm air up to create thunderstorms — as Tampa Bay may find out later today.