Monster Hailstone Shatters Texas Record

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – A gargantuan hailstone discovered in the Texas Panhandle on June 2, 2024, has officially shattered the state’s record for the largest hail ever documented. The stone measured 7.1 inches in diameter — wider than a regulation size NFL football — and was found along a roadside ditch near Vigo Park in Swisher County.

The discovery beat the previous Texas record of 6.46 inches, set by a hailstone found in Hondo in 2021.

How a Storm Chaser Made the Discovery

Storm chaser Val Castor spotted the massive ice ball while pursuing a tornadic supercell thunderstorm across the Texas Panhandle.

“As I was chasing this tornadic supercell, I started to notice large hail on the ground the size of softballs,” Castor explained. “I noticed what looked like a gallon jug of milk in the ditch. As I drove past it, I was thinking no way was this a hailstone, but I turned around and went back.”

When Castor approached the hailstone, he realized the magnitude of his find. The stone was roughly the size and shape of a large pineapple and was partially buried in mud. Despite lacking a tape measure or way to preserve the rapidly melting ice, Castor used his camera and a Monster Energy drink can as a reference object to document the hailstone through photographs.

“I’ve seen lots of large hail in my 35 years of storm chasing, but this was by far the largest,” Castor said.

How Experts Confirmed the Record

After Castor and fellow storm chasers photographed the hailstone from multiple angles, they submitted the evidence to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) for analysis.

Using advanced photogrammetry — a technique that creates precise 3D measurements from 2D photographs — along with AI-based analysis, experts determined the hailstone’s diameter to be 7.1 inches. Three separate estimates ranged from 7.06 to 7.25 inches, with 7.1 inches selected as the most conservative and reliable measurement.

The State Climate Extremes Committee, composed of representatives from the National Weather Service, NOAA, and the Office of the State Climatologist of Texas, unanimously voted to accept the Vigo Park hailstone as the new Texas state record. Professor John Nielsen-Gammon at Texas A&M produced the photogrammetric estimate of 7.16″, which is right in between the best estimated guess from the committee and what the storm chasers on site predicted.

Hailstones this size can cause significant damage to homes, vehicles, and crops. While the hail seen across the state over the past week has been nowhere near the size of this “Monster”, it serves as a reminder what type of weather spring and even early summer can bring for parts of Texas.

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