VIVIAN, S.D. — The National Oceanic and Atmo- spheric Administration says a giant hailstone that fell in central South Dakota has broken U.S. records, and the man who found it says it melted somewhat before it was evaluated.
NOAA’s National Climate Extremes Committee says the hailstone found in the town of Vivian on July 23 measures 8 inches in diameter and weighs 1 pound, 15 ounces.
The committee says the South Dakota ice chunk breaks records set by hailstones discovered in Nebraska and Kansas.
Ranch hand Leslie Scott says the hailstone was about 3 inches larger when he found it. Scott says he put it in the freezer but couldn’t prevent some melting because of an hours-long power outage that followed the storm. The Associated Press
Photo: Aberdeen National Weather Service
