THIS DATE IN WEATHER HISTORY

1928: Grapefruit-sized hail falls in Potter, Nebraska

Episode Details

July 6, 1928: The Village of Potter, Nebraska was established as the railroad progressed westward. In 1870, Union Pacific built a station house and it served as the post office, the schoolhouse and the land development office. It was the only building build for several years. Potter has grown slowly over the last 150 years with less than 400 residents in 2020. Nature.com reports that a remarkable hailstorm occurred on July 6, 1928 in Potter during which hailstones “as large as grapefruit” fell, one of which measured 17 inches in circumference and weighed 1½ pounds. This appears to be the largest single hailstone of which there is authentic record. The stones could be heard hissing through the air, and when they fell on ploughed or soft ground they completely buried themselves. Luckily the hailstorm just missed the town itself – impacting fields and grazing land. Very little damage was done by these stones beyond the unroofing of a few houses, as they fell 10–15 feet apart.

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THIS DATE IN WEATHER HISTORY

1928: Grapefruit-sized hail falls in Potter, Nebraska

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