Each trip above and below freezing adds another layer of ice until the hail becomes heavy enough to fall down to Earth. The size of hail varies and can be as small as a penny or larger than apples due to varying updraft strengths said Mark Fuchs, senior service hydrologist at the National Weather Service in St. Louis, Missouri. “The stronger the updraft, the larger the hail can be ... anything bigger than two inches is really big,” said Fuchs. A hailstorm that hit Kansas City on April 10, 2001, was the costliest ever in the U.S., causing about $2 billion damage. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

---

Persons: Fort Riley, Strong, Mark Fuchs, hydrologist, ”, Fuchs, Ping Organizations: National Weather Service, U.S, Kansas City, Associated Press Locations: Kansas, Missouri, ” In Kansas, Wabaunsee, Geary County, Junction City, Fort, St, Louis , Missouri, U.S, Vivian , South Dakota, AP.org