The truth behind the infamous ‘melon-sized hailstone’
May 28, 2011, 12:51 PM
By Breanna Deutsch, KIRO Newsroom intern
“Melon sized hailstone found in Norman, Oklahoma!”
Perhaps you read that particular headline as it made its way through the blogosphere and eventually all the way to The Drudge Report.
The article claims that the large hailstone (pictured at left) fell in Norman, OK during one of several dangerous storms that swept through the Midwest this past week.
At first look, the hailstone appears as ominous as the tornado itself. But a trained eye can immediately see that it is most likely a fraud.
Whereas the “hailstone” pictured on the right is very different from the characteristics of an authentic hailstone. A hailstone’s appearance is directly connected to its mode of formation. 
Hailstones are comprised of a series of layers accumulated as it descends through the atmosphere. Thus, a way to validate the authenticity of a hailstone is to slice it in half and look for ringlets.
The largest hailstone ever found and validated in the United States was found in Aurora, Nebraska in 2003. It made its way into the record books with a diameter of 7 inches and a circumference of 18.75 inches.
