Hail is a form of precipitation composed of ice pellets that fall from severe thunderstorms. Although it appears to be simple frozen water, the taste of hail depends on what the ice has collected during its journey. Hail primarily tastes like cold, neutral water, but it can carry subtle contaminants incorporated during its formation high in the atmosphere.
The Literal Flavor Profile of Hail
The immediate sensory experience of consuming hail is defined more by its texture and temperature than by strong flavor. Hailstones are typically dense, hard spheres or irregularly shaped lumps of ice, providing a crunchy texture as they are broken down.
The taste itself is overwhelmingly cold and neutral, similar to distilled water or clean ice cubes. Any discernible flavor is often faint, presenting as a slight mineral or metallic note. This subtle variation is due to trace elements or suspended particles gathered from the atmosphere. Rarely, in areas with high concentrations of atmospheric particulate matter, a hailstone might carry a noticeable earthy or ash-like hint.
How Formation Affects Taste
Subtle taste variations in hail are linked to its complex formation process within a cloud. Hail begins when supercooled water droplets freeze onto a nucleus, such as a dust or biological particle, high in a thunderstorm. Strong updrafts repeatedly lift the forming ice pellet, causing successive layers of liquid water to freeze onto its surface.
As the hailstone builds layers, it scavenges and incorporates various airborne materials present at different altitudes. These atmospheric elements can include gases, fine soil dust, pollen, and microorganisms. This process explains why a hailstone might occasionally register a slightly metallic or earthy taste. The flavor depends on the local air quality and the specific height where the ice layers accumulated.
The Risks of Eating Hail
While the flavor profile of hail is bland, the health risks associated with consuming it are significant, especially considering what the ice collects as it descends. Physical hazards are a concern, as the density and hardness of hailstones can lead to chipped or cracked teeth, particularly with larger pieces. A greater concern is the health risk posed by accumulated atmospheric pollutants and microorganisms.
Hail acts as an efficient collector, gathering substances like car exhaust residue, industrial soot, toxic gases, and microplastics as it falls through the lower atmosphere. Hailstones also contain a high concentration of microorganisms, including thousands of bacterial cells per milliliter of meltwater. These microbes, often found in soil and on plants, can be concentrated in the hailstone’s inner core. Consuming hail is not recommended due to the potential for ingesting various contaminants.