Mystery ice chunk plows through roof of Modesto home amid triple-digit heat
As high heat plagued much of California, a Modesto family got a chilly surprise this week when a block of ice soared from the sky and through the roof of their home.
Monica Savath told KOVR-TV that she and her family were sitting in the living room of their home Wednesday when they heard a large crash. She went into her garage and noticed a gaping hole in the roof and the sun shining through it.
On the ground was a block of ice, melting in triple-digit temperatures.
See the most-read stories this hour >>
Savath and her neighbors were left wondering where the ice came from.
The FAA says they haven’t received any similar reports. And the National Weather Service says temperatures in the area have been so hot that ice formation is nearly impossible.
Meteorologist Jason Clapp said the ice incident was definitely not weather-related.
In Modesto, temperatures hit 104 degrees Wednesday. Nearby cities, including Sacramento and Stockton, were scorching as temperatures reached 105.
“It would have to be some freak of nature-related event,” Clapp said.
People across the country have reported similar incidents in the past, and planes have been suspected. In those instances, ice falls from a plane because of a leak in a tank containing solid waste. The ice usually appears blue because of a chemical added to waste water.
In this case, the ice was not blue.
FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said Savath and her family has not contacted the agency to report the falling ice, but an FAA inspector went to Savath’s home Thursday morning anyway.
For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA.
Hoy: Léa esta historia en español
ALSO:
Tell us all about your experiences with the heat wave
A monster El Niño is likely, but there are ‘no guarantees’
Court revokes federal approval of insecticide, citing ‘alarming’ decline in bees
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
