Baseballs, golf balls and coins are usually used to describe the size of hail, but the severe thunderstorm that swept across the Edmonton region during the Friday supper hour dropped ice balls as big as grapefruit in some areas.
Environment Canada said the largest hail was reported west of the city in Spruce Grove, where teacup- to grapefruit-sized hail measuring 80 to 102 millimetres (three to four inches) was reported.
WATCH: Friday night hail storm has left residents with holes in their house’s siding and vehicles. Sarah Komadina has the story.
A hot and humid airmass produced severe thunderstorms across central and northern Alberta on Friday. There were even tornado watches in place for the Edmonton region in the late afternoon and early evening due to the turbulent weather.
READ MORE: Edmonton and surrounding areas hammered by hail Friday night
The storm formed off the foothills, moving northeast from the Drayton Valley area through Parkland County and across the city of Edmonton, dropping heavy rain and jagged hailstones.
Environment Canada said strong wind gusts of 74 to 90 kilometres per hour were recorded west and northwest of Edmonton, and as much as 30 millimetres of rain was recorded north of Athabasca.
Below is Environment Canada’s list of severe hail reports:
- Teacup- to grapefruit-sized hail (80-102 mm) in Spruce Grove
- Teacup-sized hail (80 mm) just north of Drayton Valley
- Baseball-sized hail (70 mm) in Stony Plain
- Golf ball- to baseball-sized hail (45-70 mm) in Edmonton
- Hen egg-sized hail (50 mm) in Drayton Valley
- Hen egg-sized hail just southeast of Wabamun
- Golf ball-sized hail (45 mm) in Island Lake
- Golf ball-sized hail in Kavanagh
- Golf ball-sized hail in Josephburg
- Walnut-sized hail (38 mm) in Spring Lake
- Loonie-sized hail (26 mm) just north of Athabasca
- Loonie-sized hail in Devon
GALLERY: Photos of hail that fell across the Edmonton region on Friday, Aug. 2, 2019.
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