Intense storms that swept through Kansas and Missouri on Wednesday brought whipping winds, possible tornadoes — and what some described as “gorilla hail.” Hail is a product of thunderstorms and the size of this precipitation depends on the strength of the updraft, which is the upward flow of air in a thunderstorm. In Kansas, hail that was nearly the size of a softball and measuring 4 inches (10 centimeters) was reported in the town of Wabaunsee and 3-inch (7.6-centimeter) hail was reported in Geary County near Junction City and Fort Riley.
