Hail and graupel photos from October 29

Here are some storm photos from the thunderstorm that took Michiana by surprise in the early afternoon on Saturday, October 29th.

What is the difference between hail and graupel you may be asking?

Hail is solid precip. They are "ice balls" sometimes completely round, and other times irregular in shape.

Graupel is small "softer" hail or snow pellets.  It occurs when water droplets in the atmosphere collect and freeze on a snowflake, creating more of a ball shaped form of precipitation.  

From the looks of the photos we have received, it appears we had some hail as well as graupel.  The National Weather Service had several reports of pea to dime sized hail across portions of Berrien, St. Joseph (IN), Elkhart, and LaGrange counties. 

Our Facebook friend Nathaniel Long shared cell phone video he shot as the second wave of the storm moved through South Bend.  He was caught under an overhang as he was inspecting his house for damage!  It is really cool, and make sure to have the sound up so that you can hear the rain and hail!  Click here to view!

If you have video or photos to share, you can post them on our facebook page, or send them here!