What is a hail embryo?

A hail embryo is a small pellet of ice that forms within a thunderstorm as part of the hail formation process. It begins as a droplet of water that gets lifted by updrafts into extremely cold regions of the storm, where it freezes. As the embryo circulates within the storm, it can accumulate additional layers of ice before falling to the ground as hail. The size and structure of hailstones are influenced by the strength of the storm's updrafts and the duration of their formation.