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Colorado might have just seen its first 5-inch hailstone

A 5.25-inch hail report in Yuma County would make it the largest hailstone ever recorded in Colorado.

YUMA COUNTY, Colo. — There's large hail, and then there's what Yuma County saw on Tuesday night.

A 5-inch hailstone fell in rural Yuma County on Tuesday night, based on reports from a storm chaser in the area. If that hailstone is verified, which is likely because a detailed measurement and photo were taken, it will set a record for the largest hailstone ever recorded in the state.

Storm chaser Dan Fitts documented the 5-inch hailstone along U.S. 36 near Kirk on Tuesday afternoon. The huge hail fell from the same storm that produced a strong tornado that led to the destruction of at least one home near Yuma.

Credit: Dan Fitts
Hailstone found near Kirk, Colorado, on Aug. 8, 2023.

The current record for the largest hailstone on record in Colorado is a 4.83-inch hailstone that fell near Bethune in August 2019.

The record will require official verification from the Colorado state climatologist office, a lengthy process that might take weeks or even months.

On top of the large hail on Tuesday night, the damage from the Yuma tornado could be strong enough to warrant an EF-4 rating on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which would make it the first EF-4 tornado in Colorado since the new scale was implemented in 2007.

The National Weather Service office in Goodland, Kansas, will rate the tornado damage in Yuma County this week.

Credit: Sky9

After a stormy few days on the eastern plains, a much quieter stretch of weather is likely for the next few days. High pressure should keep storms mostly at bay until the upcoming weekend. 

More 9NEWS stories by Chris Bianchi

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