Why is it that a hail storm doesn't last as long as a rain or snow storm?

Answer 1

The way hail is formed has a lot to do with it. You generally won't see any hail form unless you have a severe thunderstorm. Most of the time these storms are moving at about 30 to 45 mph. Hail only forms in the updraft of a storm. Since updrafts are not extremely large in size, hail is pretty much confined to one small area of the storm. Given the fact that severe storms move so quickly, the small area where hail forms passes over very quickly also, which is why hail doesn't last quite as long. Hail will also stop falling if the updraft weakens at any given point during a storm's life-cycle (which is usually pretty short). If the updraft weakens so much that it cannot push the precipitation high enough to freeze, you won't get hail.

In short, the area of hail doesn't last long because storms move so quickly, and the storm must be able to sustain the right kind of conditions, which also doesn't last long.

Answer 2

Hail is a very rare occurance because the atmosphere has to have perfect conditions. I believe it has to be super-cooled to be able to hail.

Answer 3

Good question!
Maybe it is because hail is heavier and falls faster than snow and rain... :-)