CAROLINE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A near record-breaking hailstone was recorded in Caroline County following Monday night’s severe weather.
This hailstone — measured at approximately 4.75 inches — is the third largest in Virginia’s recorded history. The Commonwealth hasn’t seen a hailstone bigger since the 1960s.
Stormtracker8’s meteorologists tracked a storm that was producing very large hail last night that crossed Caroline County. In addition to the expected 3-inch-sized hail, a tornado warning was issued for the storm.
The following 3D model shows the core of the hail in purple. The vertical ascent of the storm breaks at 40,000 feet — a very powerful and dynamic storm for our region.
According to the National Weather Service, the last time our region experienced hail as big as 4 inches was on May 9, 2003, it was recorded near Jarrett in Sussex County. The largest sized hail ever recorded in Virginia was 5 inches.
| Observation Time | Diameter (inches) | Diameter (cm) | Diameter (mm) | Latitude | Longitude | Affected County |
| 4/23/1968 16:40 | 5 | 12.7 | 127 | 36.78 | -83.08 | Lee County VA |
| 7/2/1968 14:00 | 5 | 12.7 | 127 | 39 | -77.4 | Loudoun County VA |
| 6/4/1993 13:55 | 4.5 | 11.43 | 114.3 | 37.02 | -79.88 | Franklin County VA |
| 5/4/1996 18:55 | 4.5 | 11.43 | 114.3 | 38.48 | -78 | Culpeper County VA |
| 6/4/2002 17:15 | 4.5 | 11.43 | 114.3 | 38.17 | -78.57 | Albemarle County VA |
| 5/9/2003 15:45 | 4.25 | 10.8 | 107.95 | 36.8 | -77.47 | Sussex County VA |
