The pics here seem to indicate that the hail in Vivian rivals the largest hail ever recorded- the Aurora, NE hail of 2003 was 7 inches in diameter and 18.75 in circumference- what do you all think?
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=abr&storyid=55671&source=0
Whoops, meant 7/23, mods please fix....
Do they count the spikes or not? Looks like the winner with the spike for sure, otherwise it looks too close to call on a diameter. I'd rather get hit in the head by the aurora stone I think anyway, looks like it has a good bit more drag that helped keep it up, while the SD one looks overall very round in comparison.
I was on I90 shooting video of it as it entered Vivian. Interestingly enough this is exactly the same time the storm had a vicious lowering deal that was plowing up Earth and starting to spin and get a cut more south of it. Looked like a serious tornado was about to plant. That area looked to be scooting barely to the north of town, like south edge of it maybe hitting town. You could soon see the big cut and base extending back some behind it. Blasting wet/icy rfd won out with that circulation though and undercut it. The massive hail would have came out the west/sw edge of that meso I'd guess as it all slid se.
The whole time right there the core to the east of the base was very vivid blue-green. And at this same time and for a bit after, a crazy long wall of convection made up a stout beavertail going due east. I remember looking at VIL and tops on radar then and thinking, given we were as far west as we were....this VIL max likely had merit to it for big hail unlike ever seems to be the case further east. That area sucks for radar though as it gets off of Rapid City's and Sioux Falls and is barely in Aberdeen's.
http://www.keloland.com/images/upload/image/haillarge.jpg
That top stone scares me. Man it'd be so much fun easter egg hunting one of these events after they are over. Sigh. As storms were initiating we were right there at the gas station at the Pierre exit a mile west of Vivian too.
Will eventually post a couple pics of that time frame but was too close to get the structure except for on 360 degree video pans often driving east with it munching down I90 right behind. It was amazing just how void east bound traffic became at Chamberlain east. Not a single soul just ahead of that storm for a long ways. Also very interesting this chase were the number of folks parking under overpasses well ahead of any precip. Evidently they were hearing it over the radio and just wise enough to stop and wait. That'd be an interesting vacation drive to the black hills with your parents as a kid(those not taking shelter but driving right in). Especially given you'd likely be in the back seat of whatever with the window breaking out completely.
Without the spike it is clearly breaking 7 inches. It is crazy to take out a ruler and measure that out and picture something round there.
