Record Largest Hailstone Falls near Gotebo, Oklahoma on May 23, 2011

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Summary

On May 23, 2011 a strong supercell thunderstorm moved across northern Kiowa County in southwestern Oklahoma and produced large, damaging hail. A hail research team (HailSTONE) recovered a large hailstone 2 miles north of Gotebo, OK that measured 6 inches in diameter (see image below). The hailstone was so large that it significantly caved in the roof of the vehicle that captured it (see image). Investigation and coordination between the National Weather Service in Norman, OK and the Oklahoma Climatological Survey (OCS) determined that this is the new record holder for largest hailstone in Oklahoma.

6" Hailstone near Gotebo, OK

Caved in roof of the automobile that captured the hailstone.

The process for determining the record was a lengthy process. The hailstone itself had to be saved in accord with best practices by the HailSTONE group, which it was. Next, representatives from NWS Norman and OCS had to research the National Centers for Environmental Information's (NCEI) official database to see if any archived hail events at or above 6” could be verified. Four hail events were found in the database and are listed below (since 1950):

Location or County	Date	Time (CST)	Size (inches)
Canadian	04/30/1961	1815	7.0
Garfield	04/26/1971	1600	8.0
McClain	05/01/1980	2130	5.5
Eufaula	06/16/1997	1715	5.5

Further research concluded that neither the 7” hailstone at Canadian County on 4/30/1961, nor the 8” hailstone at Garfield County on 4/26/1971 could be reasonably validated or verified. Other local research of large hail events in the area failed to turn up sufficient verification of any hailstones larger than 6”.

Finally, in accordance with the National Weather Service Directives, a State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) was established to consider this potential record-setting hailstone. The SCEC weighed the lack of quantifiable verification of any hailstones in excess of 6” as recorded in NCDC, as well as the sound and valid approach used by the HailSTONE group. It was determined that the 6” hailstone recorded 2 miles north of Gotebo, OK on 5/23/2011 is the new state record largest hailstone for the state of Oklahoma. The national record for largest hailstone is 8". That hailstone fell near Vivian, South Dakota on July 23, 2010.

Public Information Statement

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
230 PM CDT MON AUG 1 2011

...NEW RECORD HAILSTONE FOR OKLAHOMA...

THE STATE CLIMATE EXTREMES COMMITTEE...MADE UP OF REPRESENTATIVES
FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THE OKLAHOMA CLIMATOLOGICAL
SURVEY...HAS DETERMINED THAT A HAILSTONE THAT FELL NEAR GOTEBO
OKLAHOMA ON MAY 23 2011 IS THE NEW STATE RECORD LARGEST HAILSTONE
FOR THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA.

THE SIX INCH DIAMETER STONE WAS RETRIEVED AND DOCUMENTED BY A HAIL
RESEARCH TEAM OBSERVING STORMS IN THE AREA. INVESTIGATION BY NWS AND
OCS DETERMINED THAT THE GOTEBO HAILSTONE WAS THE LARGEST DOCUMENTED
HAILSTONE.

$$

SMITH