As part of NCAR and UCAR 50th anniversary festivities, university members and affiliates attended a gala dinner on 5 October at the University of Colorado’s Stadium Club.

There was no gold medal, no podium ceremony, and definitely no tears from the losers on 30 July, but there was a new national champion. On that date, NOAA proclaimed that a South Dakota hailstone had surpassed all contenders in both size and weight.