Snow-like hail in Phoenix-area desert caps days of storms

PHOENIX – Large hail coated the desert in parts of the Phoenix metro area as a string of storms that unleashed three days of wet weather blew out of Arizona.

National Weather Service meteorologists say hail fell Thursday afternoon in parts of Phoenix and the suburbs of Goodyear, Avondale, Tempe, Mesa and Apache Junction — an unusual sight in the desert.

Some people said hail as small as a marble covered their property, while others say they saw hail as big as a silver dollar.

TV news helicopters shot video of children sledding on a hill covered by snow-like hail west of Phoenix and golfers in Scottsdale playing on courses blanketed by hail.

Meteorologists say many Phoenix-area cities got at least 1 inch (2.5 centimetres) of rain since Tuesday.