Disasters · Arizona hail warningsMormon Lake thunderstorm: Half-dollar-size hail threatened vehiclesAired October 24, 2026 at 1:33 AM UTCWritten October 24, 2026 at 1:37 AM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:07A northbound thunderstorm threatened Mormon Lake with half dollar size hail.0:11The hail could damage vehicles and people in the warning area were told to get0:15inside, away from windows.0:17The threat moved through parts of three counties.0:19How far did the threat travel and what damage did it leave behind?0:23The threat reached Mormon Lake on October 22nd, 2026.0:27A new warning covered Coconino County with the storm near the lake, 18 miles east of0:32Sedona.0:32These warning periods belonged to that day's storm.0:35The Mormon Lake warning began at 1144 in the morning Mountain Standard Time.0:40Its scheduled expiration was 12.15 that afternoon.0:43The warning identified large hail as the hazard and told people to shelter inside a0:48well-built structure.0:49Half dollar size hail was the warning's estimate from radar.0:53Forecasters expected damage to vehicles that gave residents and motorists a reason0:57to get indoors, but the estimate couldn't tell them how much damage the storm would1:01actually cause.1:02Farther south, the storm had been moving north at 50 miles an hour.1:05At 11.15, Radar placed it over Hanging Garden, 17 miles east of Camp Verde.1:11The warning covered parts of Coconino, Gila, and Yavapai counties with an 11451:15scheduled end.1:16The hail estimate shifted from half dollar size near Hanging Garden to quarter size1:20near Stoneman Lake.1:21Near Mormon Lake, it returned to half dollar size.1:24Those changing radar estimates tracked the threat.1:26They weren't measurements of hailstones collected on the ground.1:29At 11.21, the storm was five miles north of Hanging Garden, 18 miles east of Camp1:34Verde.1:35Its northward speed remained 50 miles an hour.1:37The half-dollar size hail threat and 11.45 scheduled expiration also stayed in1:42place.1:43At 11:30, radar placed the storm over Stoneman Lake, 18 miles southeast of Sedona.1:48Six minutes later, it was again over Stoneman Lake, described as 17 miles east of1:52Sedona.1:53Both updates kept the 50-mile an hour movement, quarter-size hail threat, and 11.451:59scheduled end.1:59By 11.58, the storm was 9 miles north of Mormon Lake, 15 miles southeast of2:04Flagstaff.2:05It was moving north at 45 miles an hour with a half dollar size hail threat.2:09The warning still carried the 12-15 scheduled expiration.2:12The initial Mormon Lake speed estimates differed by 2 miles an hour.2:15The later update put the speed at 45.2:181215 remained the scheduled warning end.2:20Whether forecasters canceled it five minutes early isn't clear.2:23The follow-up kept that deadline without extending it.2:26The threatened location list included Munns Park, Mormon Lake, Lakeview, Stoneman2:31Lake, Happy Jack, and T-Bar Ranch.2:33It also included portions of Interstate 17 and State Route 260.2:37These were places where people were being warned to take shelter.2:40The Stoneman Lake warnings covered parts of Coconino and Yabapai counties.2:44The later Mormon Lake warning focused on Coconino County.2:47Camp Verde and Sedona helped locate the storm through distances and directions from2:51those towns.2:52People in the affected area were told to shelter inside a well-built structure and2:56stay away from windows for residents and motorists.2:59The immediate concern was exposure to hail capable of damaging vehicles.3:03The instruction was to get indoors.3:08A separate tornado watch covered part of north central Arizona until 8 that evening.3:13The Thursday mentioned in the warnings was October 22nd.3:16That watch extended beyond the thunderstorm warning's scheduled lunchtime3:19expiration.3:20A tornado watch meant conditions favored tornadoes.3:23It didn't confirm that this storm produced one.3:25The warnings followed a fast-moving hail threat north.3:28The actual toll on people, vehicles, and roads along that track remains unconfirmed.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗