March hailstone confirmed as largest ever in Hawaii
The National Weather Service said today it has confirmed that hail that fell in Windward Oahu March 9 set a state size record for hail, at 4 1/4 inches.
The record hail was reported by a resident in Kailua’s Aikahi neighborhood. The weather service measured it as 4 1/4 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 2 1/4 inches tall.
The previous record was 1 inch in diameter, according to hail report records that date back to 1950, the weather service said.
Hail fell in the early morning hours of March 9 in Kailua and Kaneohe. The hail was generated by a "supercell" thunderstorm that was stationary over that area, the weather service said.
The weather service received numerous reports of hail of 2 to 3 inches in diameter.