Why Does Dallas, Fort Worth Get So Much Hail?

Texas gets a ton of weather. Rain and hail frequent the Lone Star State. It probably won’t surprise you to learn that Texas had the most major hail events in the United States last year. These storms blow through, leaving destruction in their wake. From causing leaks in your roof to making your car look like a golf ball, hail in Texas is no joke. Dallas and Fort Worth seem to be a hail magnet every year. But why does Dallas, Fort Worth, get so much hail?

What Causes Hail?

We have to understand how hail storms form to understand why Northern Texas gets so much rocky weather. Hailstones form in large cumulonimbus clouds. These are also known as “thunderheads” and are the clouds that makeup thunderstorms.  These clouds hold super-cooled water droplets. These droplets are below the freezing point, but can’t actually freeze until they’re disturbed. Ice crystals form lower in the cloud are pushed upwards from updrafts. These ice crystals collide with the super-cooled water droplets and freeze them, which creates hailstones. Once the hailstones get too heavy for the updrafts to hold, they fall towards the earth to cause havoc. However, if the updrafts are strong enough, the hailstones will stay suspended in the clod of water droplets. They’ll grow larger, and larger until they’re too heavy. That’s how you get baseball, or even softball, sized hailstones.

Why Dallas, Fort Worth?

Northern Dallas gets a boat-load of rain, which is the quickest way to get hail. The Gulf Coast provides plenty of moisture for fairly consistent rain. That, coupled with the variation in temperatures causes more thunderstorms. Then, with more thunderstorms, and bigger thunderheads, you get more hail. The Dallas, Fort Worth area is the perfect melting pot for hail. Because of these perfect storm conditions, roofing in Dallas and Fort Worth have a shortened lifespan and should be inspected after every major storm. Repairing storm damage quickly after a storm is essential, especially since you do have a time limit to make an insurance claim.

Prepare Before The Storm

While hail storms are inevitable, you can prepare for them to mitigate damage to your property. Try to bring in anything you can. This would include things like your car, lawn furniture, and anything else typically left outside. Also, trim back the branches on any trees. Cutting back foliage so that it won’t crash into your home if anything breaks off can help prevent any major damage. Checking your gutters can also help since full gutters can lead to water damage to your home.

Storm damage may go unnoticed but can lead to more damage down the road. Honey Bees Roofing & Solar offers free roofing inspections so you’ll know if your roof is damaged and needs to be fixed. If you think you might have any storm damage, or need more tips on prepping your home for hail, Contact Honey Bees Roofing & Solar online or give us a call today at 817-668-6131! Have us do the inspection, so you don’t have to!