Hail damage to NSSL vehicles. Hail is a form of solid precipitation which consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, that are individually called hail stones. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between 5 millimeters (0.20 in) and 200 millimeters (7.9 in) in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms. Hail is possible within most thunderstorms as it is produced by cumulonimbi (thunderclouds) and within 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) of the parent storm. Hail formation requires environments of strong, upward motion of air with the parent thunderstorm (similar to tornadoes) and lowered heights of the freezing level. Hail is most frequently formed in the interior of continents within the mid-latitudes of Earth, with hail generally confined to higher elevations within the tropics.