What’s the Biggest Hail in Colorado History and How Does It Compare to What Fell at Red Rocks

By Shawn Patrick on June 22, 2023
Photo by Emrah Yorulmaz/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

By now you’ve likely heard about a major hail event at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre last night (June 21st) during a packed Louis Tomlinson (formerly of One Direction) concert. Roughly 100 people sustained injuries as apple-sized hail fell, ultimately leading to seven people being hospitalized.

So where does that hail rank among the largest the state has ever seen?

In 2019, the National Centers for Environmental Information certified the largest-ever recorded hailstone to fall in Colorado. It was found on Aug. 13, 2019 near Bethune and measured 4.83 inches in diameter and weighed 8.5 ounces.

Although there is no official word on how big the stones were at Red Rocks, a typical apple is 2-4 inches in diameter and weighs 6-8 ounces. So, if the hail in Morison was the size of a huge apple, it may have been close to the biggest on record!

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